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But in addition to these are found the remains of reptiles, both 
terrestial and aquatic, such as the world never saw before nor 
since — the ichthyosaurus, the plesiosaurus, the megalosaurus, 
and the pterodactiles— all testify to the wonderful perfection 
of reptilian life in those ancient times ; but their transition 
forms are not found. 
In these rocks also are found the remains of a most remark- 
able bird : not the mere footprints, but the fossil forms them- 
selves. The curious creature, which has received the name 
of the archaBopterix, differs from all living forms of birds in 
the disposition of its tail-feathers. The birds of the present 
day have all the tail-feathers set upon the last joint of the 
tail, and upon none other. In the case of the archseopterix, 
however, it is different ; there being one pair of feathers to 
each joint — ten in number. Now, as there is no evidence 
that the pterodactyles possessed feathers, and as natural 
selection must work by a number of minute changes/^ 
where are the links which are necessary, on the hypothesis of 
evolution, to unite the one with the other? There must 
have been many links in the evolution upwards, and there 
must have been many in the process of the degradation of the 
long- tailed birds into the short-tailed ones of recent times. 
But none of these links are found. This is most unfortunate ; 
but it is true. 
In the same series of rocks are found the teeth and other 
remains of animals belonging to the class Mammalia, mostly 
such as are now represented by the Marsupia and Insectivora. 
Whence they came — that is, out of what previous creatures 
they were evolved, — is nowhere shown. Another misfortune 
for evolutionists, yet another truth. 
Rising to the Chalk formation, some very remarkable fossils 
are found — birds whose beaks were furnished with rows of 
teeth resembling in their structure those of reptiles. Ah ! 
says the evolutionist, here, at least, you have a proof in favour 
of evolution. Here is clearly a connecting link between the 
reptiles and the birds. 
But, we ask, ought not this link to have been found much 
earlier ? It seems out of place here. It comes in much later 
in time than the age of the arch^opterix. Was not that 
primitive bird destitute of dental appendages ? and besides 
this there is no evidence that the archaeopterix descended from 
flying reptiles of the pterodactylean age. We hold, therefore, 
that these toothed birds, instead of proving evolution to be 
true, become, when viewed in connexion with the period of 
time at which found, rather a perplexity to the advocates of 
that theory. 
