78 
EXTINCT MONSTERS. 
restoration, but these have since been rectified by a comparison 
with the allied American forms, such as Allosaurus, of which nearly 
entire skeletons have of late been discovered in strata of Jurassic 
age — in fact, the same rock in Colorado as that in which the huge 
Atlantosaurus bones lay hid. The accompanying woodcut (Fig. 
13) shows how the skeleton has been restored in the light of 
these later discoveries of Professor Marsh. The large bones of 
the limbs of these formidable flesh-eating monsters were hollow, 
and many of the vertebrae, as well as some of those of the feet, 
Fig. 13. — Skeleton of Megalosaurus, restored. (After Meyer.) 
contained cavities, or were otherwise lightened in order to give 
the creature a greater power of rapid movement. 
It is not very difficult to imagine a Megalosaur lying in wait for 
his prey (perhaps a slender, harmless little mammal of the ant- 
eater type) with his hind limbs bent under his body, so as to bring 
the heels to the ground, and then with one terrific bound from 
those long legs springing on to the prey, and holding the mammal 
tight in its clawed fore limbs, as a cat might hold a mouse. Then 
the sabre-like teeth would be brought into action by the powerful 
jaws, and soon the flesh and bones of the victim would be gone ! 
(See Plate VI.) 
