i u i v i ii-nv 
THE MIDLAND NATURALIST. 
“ Come forth into the light of things, 
Let Nature be your teacher.” 
Wordsworth. 
“ DRAGONS OF THE PRIME.”* 
BY A. BERNARD BADGER, B.A. 
(Concluded from Vol. XIV., page 223.) 
So much for the sea-loving Ichthyosaur and Plesiosaur ; 
now we will consider another series of reptiles which lived on 
the land —the Dinosaurs. These reptiles are remarkable in 
two ways: (1) Amongst them we find some of the very 
largest animals which have ever lived on the earth; 
and (2), although undoubtedly reptiles, yet some in many 
respects are very like birds. Now, in order to under¬ 
stand and appreciate the great interest of these reptiles, 
we must compare the structure of an ordinary reptile, say a 
crocodile, with that of a bird. 
The differences between the two creatures are many, but 
the one that strikes us most is that, while the crocodile (Plate 
I, Fig. 1), walks on all fours and has its body placed hori- 
Description of Figures in Plate 1. 
In Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5 — il., ilium ; is., ischium ; pb., pubis ; vc., vertebral 
column ; pp., post-pubis. 
Fig. 1.—Diagram of the skeleton in the most reptilian Dinosaurs 
(e.g ., Ceteosaurus), which is practically the same as in the 
crocodile. 
Fig. 2.—Diagram of the skeleton of birds. 
Fig. 3.—Diagram showing the mechanical advantage of the avian over 
the reptilian pelvis in maintaining a semi-erect attitude: 
AFI', vertebral column ; FI, position of ischium in reptiles ; 
and FI', position of the same in birds ; fm., femur. 
Fig. 4.—Diagram of skeleton in Dinosaurs. 
Fig. 5.—The pelvis of Crocodile (Cr.), Apteryx (Ap.), and Dinosaur 
(Dm). 
Fig. 6.—Diagram of bones of the hind limb in embryo bird (A.), adult 
bird (B.), Dinosaur (D.), and Crocodile (C.). Fm., femur ; 
Tb., tibia ; Fb., fibula ; 2\ T 2 , the two lows of tarsal bones ; 
Tt.y tibio-tarsus ; M., metatarsals; Tm., tarso-metatarsus ; 
Ft., foot. 
* The substance of a lecture delivered at the late Summer Meeting 
in Oxford of the University Extension Students. 
