A400 THE VARIOUS EXPLATATIONS. 
same.time as the Jchthyosaurus, but would naturally become an 
extinct species far sooner than the jish-lizard, which can conceal 
itself in the depth of the ocean from the curiosity and violence of man.” 
"6G “SLT 
‘porojsar ‘stuntimos sninesody} yoy 
saurus was unable to 
“*sTUNUIUIOD sninvsot{yyqo] Jo WoITIYG — ‘gg ‘SIZ 
SON 
WW 
(LAONY 
The /chthyosaurus must 
have been destitute of 
scales, or better the scales 
must have been of a 
microscopic minuteness , 
and so I have ventured 
to sketch my ifig; 799% 
showing the Jchthyosau- 
Tus communis, as 1t most 
probably looked, and of 
which fig. 58 represents 
the skeleton. 
Here we have an ant- 
mal of really huge di- 
mensions. Some may have 
had a length of from forty 
to fifty feet. Their skin 
was smooth, the tail was 
very long and four flap- 
pers resembling the fore- 
flappers of whales, were 
the organs of locomotion. 
Most probably, however, 
the tail was provided with 
a vertical fin, as I have 
delineated. The neck was 
very short, as in whales. 
Now the sea-serpent has 
a pointed tail, and a very 
long neck. Especially this 
last character is enough 
to drop the supposition 
that the sea-serpents are 
still living Lehthyosaurt. 
Moreover, the Jchthyo- 
move in vertical undulations. 
