THE FLYING REPTILES 



Among the many wonderful creatures flying 

 through the air in those days when there were no 

 people in the world were the reptiles called Ptero- 

 dactyls, The outspread wings of the largest of 

 these monsters measured twenty feet from tip to 

 tip. No animal has ever flown through the air 

 since man lived on earth which could compare with 

 this in size. 



Even the bravest among the Dinosaurs must 

 have felt some fear when he saw one of these gigan- 

 tic creatures hovering over his head. And a Plesio- 

 saur, swimming with his neck stretched far above 

 the water, probably had cause for watching warily 

 when a big Pterodactyl came near him. For, 

 although these flying reptiles did not eat the big 

 land-and-water animals, we may be sure they were 

 quite ready at times to do battle with them. 



Some of these mighty rulers of the air had long 



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