148 Ancient Giants 



The bright rosettes were more highly colored 

 than the smaller dots. As the thin skin hung 

 loosely on the frame below, it moved in graceful 

 curves rounded muscles, massive hind limb, and 

 great tail. The hind limbs terminated in three 

 large hoofs on each foot; that spread well over 

 half a square yard of the muddy bottom. The 

 tail was adorned with large colored scales. He ia 

 now in his natural habitat, the Everglades along 

 the old Cretaceous Ocean. The land was begin- 

 ning slowly to rise from the domain of Neptune, 

 who had held sway for ages, but even now, it was 

 but slightly above sea-level, while meandering 

 bayou, river or lake were interspersed between 

 the low lands. There were great accumulations 

 of peat, and other rank vegetation covering great 

 areas of swamp-land, to the depth of thirty feet 

 or more. Often no doubt, a great tidal wave 

 will flood the rising land, covering the vegetation 

 with ocean mud, which in due time, in the ages 

 to come, will form under pressure the coal fields 

 of Alberta Province. We have already noted her 

 wealth of coal. 



Our trachodon has finished breakfast, and 

 though at the time of writing these lines no one 

 had suggested a name for him, the great ques- 

 tion with me was how continue the study of this 

 beautiful lizard, learn more of his life history 

 and of the other creatures of his day. I con- 

 cluded the rich everglades would abound in 

 many of his kind, and a rich fauna too, includ- 



