812 Marvels of the Universe 
On this space we saw one of the birds dance and jump about, while the others evidently played the 
part of admiring spectators. At one moment it expanded its wings, threw its head in the air, or spread 
out its tail lke a peacock, scratching the ground with its foot ; all this took place with a sort of 
hopping gait, until tired, when, on emitting a peculiar note, its place was taken by another per- 
former.” 
THE ALLOSAUR 
BY W. P. PYCRAFT, F.Z.S., Etc. 
Ir the reptiles of to-day possessed a written record, or the ability to explain the records of the past, 
they might well swell with pride, for no group of the vertebrate or backboned animals has produced 
so many bizarre and gigantic 
types. In any comprehensive 
survey of the giant types the 
Dinosaurs must always rank 
first, and this because so many 
were land dwellers, and, con- 
sequently, their remains dis- 
play a marvellous wealth of 
structural variation, deter- 
mined in part by the mere 
mechanical requirements of 
locomotion on land, and in 
part by the all-important need 
of providing provender for 
their daily needs. This last 
factor, the hunger-stimulus, 
furnishes us with some curious 
and interesting data. Thus, 
in the first place, it is clear 
mere bulk, in those far-off 
days, no less than to-day, had 
THE COCK OF THE ROCK. its disadvantages, and limits 
Most beautiful is the colouring of this strange bird, which is a native of the were placed upon size in the 
interior of South America. Save for the wings and tail, the bird is completely clothed 
in orange, scarlet, or blood-red, the colour varying according to geographical distribu- 
case of the carnivorous types 
tion. During the mating season the male bird performs a curious and elaborate dance. sgoner than with the vegeta- 
rians. The Brontosaurus, Atlantosaurus and Diplodocus, ranging as they did up to, and over, eighty 
feet in length, could never have achieved this distinction had they not been eaters of grass. They 
were slow, unwieldy, contemplative creatures: dull of wit, and defenceless. For long generations, 
no doubt, this was a matter of no consequence. But it was not to be expected that Nature would 
go to the trouble of producing such mountains of flesh without, sooner or later, producing some 
other creature which could and would appreciate its juiciness when newly killed. This, then, 
determined the evolution of the eater, in the form of creatures like the Allosaurus, Ceratosaurus, 
Megalosaurus and Tyrannosaurus. These were the lions and tigers of those far-off days, but 
immensely more powerful, and of huge bulk. The Allosaurus was probably about forty feet long. 
In their structure they present some curiously interesting features. Allosaurus, for example, 
had comparatively slender, hollow bones, indicating lightness with strength ; further, it was evidently 
bipedal, and probably displayed remarkable agility. The form of the hind leg, and the great thick- 
ness of the tail, show that its method of progression was not kangaroo-like, by leaps, but it was 
