32 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 



species of this tribe have been found — about fifteen in New Jersey, six or more in 

 the Gulf beds, and over twenty in Kansas ; and one of them, at least, Mososaurus 

 princeps, was seventy-five to eighty feet long. The first one known was found in 

 Europe, near the river Meuse, and hence the name. The body was covered 

 with small, over-lapping, bony plates. The paddles, of which there were four, 

 had the regular finger-bones of man." Horrible thought! that we should have a 

 characteristic of such frightful looking monsters as these lizard-demons of the 

 deep ! 



I have only space to speak of one more of these terrible animals. The 

 Lae/aps was a powerful carnivorous animal, and the destructive enemy of the pre- 

 ceding smaller reptiles. A full-grown specimen was probably twenty-five feet in 

 length. Its toes were long and slender, like those of a bird of prey. They were 

 armed with flattened hooked claws ten or twelve inches long and adapted to 

 grabbing and tearing. Its teeth were curved, knife-shaped, saw-edged, and fitted 

 like scissors for cutting. The tail was long, rounded and strong, and capable of 

 striking a blow or of throwing an enemy within reach of the kick or grab of the 

 terrible hind leg. 



What must have been the scene, could mortal eyes have gazed upon both 

 land and sea during the Mesozoic Age? Prof. Stelle fitly describes it in his 

 Scenic Description of the landscape of this age thus : 



"It is an arm of the ocean, with broad, flat, muddy shores, at the bottom of 

 which is gathering a sandy rock. The fog has just lifted, and discloses a view of 

 surpassing beauty. On either hand the summits of the hills are crowned with 

 lordly pines, while the sloping land is overgrown with palms and tropical trees. 

 The shore is green with ferns and reeds, whose tufted tassels nod in the gentle 

 breeze. No grass carpets the plain, no flowers embellish the scene, no bi r ds sing 

 in the trees. It is the reign of reptiles. On every hand they swarm — crawling, 

 hopping, stalking by the shore. The water is alive with them — swimming, diving, 

 and filling the air with an indescribable din. All day long enormous lizards 

 crawl through the forests, crushing the reed-like trees before them in their head- 

 long course, or plunge into the sea, leaving a broad wake like a steamer, while 

 others, more fearful still, spread their wings and riot in the air. Sailing in and 

 out among the shallow coves and bays of the coast, the plesiosaur, arching its 

 long neck, eagerly watches a shoal of fish swimming near. But, with quick, 

 sharp strokes of its whale-like paddles, the huge ichthyosaur darts into view, and 

 glares upon its prey with its great bulging eye. Instantly the swan-neck disap- 

 pears under the water, and the plesiosaur is hidden from its rapacious foe — the 

 terror of the Mesozoic seas. Mighty dinosaurs, rivaling the elephant in size, stalk 

 along the shore or squat on the beach, stupidly gazing on the scene, save when 

 the laelaps, with fearful bounds, leaps among their frightened herds and tears them 

 with his eagle-claws. But night draws on apace. In the dim recesses of the 

 woods, the pterodactyle — that winged dragon so terrible to behold — sails slowly 

 along on its broad leathern wings. As the shadows deepen, mighty sea-serpents 



