94 
EXTINCT MONSTERS 
forms, the body of the vertebra was composed of three separate 
pieces, an arrangement peculiar to certain primitive fishes. ; 
Ever since an unfortunate restoration of a Labyrinthodont by 
Mr. W. Hawkins, it has been the custom — in popular works at 
least — to represent the creature with a frog-like aspect. This 
restoration was based on the imperfect material of a good many] 
years ago, and is therefore out of date. But later discoveries 
have shown that, instead of being frog-like, most of the Laby- 
rinthodonts, if we could have seen them in the fiesh, would • 
have reminded us more of our modern little newts, or of the 
salamanders of - hot countries. The tail was generally well ■ 
developed, and the limbs were adapted quite as much for walking 
as for swimming. ■ 
Their chests were defended by three bony plates (see Fig. 17), 
which had grooves similar to those on the skull. But besides!^' 
this, all the under side of the body was protected by a large gf 
number of scales, running in two directions, as shown in Fig. 17 .|bw 
I n one or two instances the whole body was covered with aSIl 
coat of mail, consisting of small bony scales. An examplef 
of this kind of skin is the Seeleya, from the Permian rocks of|: 
Bohemia, restored by Fritsch, and named by him after the latel- 
'S- 
Professor H. G. Seeley, F.RS. In size the Labyrinthodonts | 
varied greatly, some being only an inch or two in length, others 
seven or eight feet, and perhaps more. Most of them had| 
limbs, but in one or two cases these had apparently been dis-^ 
pensed with. ^ 
It might naturally be asked, Did they undergo a series ofi 
changes similar to the metamorphoses of a common frog ? One ^ 
could hardly, perhaps, have expected an answer to this question ;j 
but, strange to say, some of the smaller forms from the petroleum 
shales (Gaskohle) of Bohemia, so carefully studied and described 
