SEA-SCORPIONS, 
27 
of this creature. Its hard coat of jointed armour bore on its surface 
curious wavy markings that suggested to their minds the sculptured 
feathers on the wings of cherubs — of all subjects of the chisel 
the most common. Hence they christened these remains 
“ Seraphim.” They did not succeed in getting complete specimens 
that could be pieced together ; and the part to which this fanciful 
name was given turned out to be part of the under side below the 
mouth. It was composed of several large plates, two of which 
are not unlike the wings of a cherub in shape. Hugh Miller says 
in his classic work, The Old Red Sandstone — “ the form altogether, 
from its wing-like appearance, its feathery markings, and its 
angular points, will suggest to the reader the origin of the name 
given it by Forfarshire workmen.” 
A correct restoration, in proportion to the fragments found in 
the Lower Old Red Sandstone, would give a creature measuring 
nearly six feet in length, and more than a foot across. Pterygotus 
anglicus may therefore be justly considered a monster crustacean. 
The illustrious Cuvier, who, in the eighteenth century founded 
the science of comparative anatomy (see p. 5), astonished the 
scientific world by his bold interpretations of fossil bones. From 
a few broken fragments of bone he could restore the skeleton of 
an entire animal, and determine its habits and mode of living. 
When other wise men were unable to read the writing of Nature 
on the walls of her museum — in the shape of fossil bones — he 
came forward, like a second Daniel, to interpret the signs, and so 
instructed us how to restore the world’s lost creations. Hugh 
Miller submitted the fragments found at Balruddery to the 
celebrated naturalist Agassiz, a pupil of Cuvier, who had written 
a famous work on fossil fishes ; and he says that he was much 
struck with the skill displayed by him in piecing together the 
fragments of the huge Pterygotus. “Agassiz glanced over the 
collection. One specimen especially caught his attention — an 
elegantly symmetrical one. His eye brightened as he contem- 
plated it. ‘ I will tell you,’ he said, turning to the company — ‘ I 
