The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1847-08-07
NUMBER 8.

which the eye can scarcely follow towards
the surface. The vast Jaws, lined with for
mdaole rows OF teeth, soon open wide 10
Their iull extent; the object Of attack is an
Proaehed-is overtaken. With a motion
quicker than thought the Jaws are snapped
together, and the work is done. The mon.
sier' becoming sorsed, floats languidIy near
the surface, with portion Of the TOD of its
head and its nostrils visible. like an island
covered wish black mud, above the water. I"
la the third epoch, We sci feet not exact
ly on dry land, but upon rree-bearing mud,
and MIR. Ansted is as much al home among
It's inhabitants as he was when dabbling in
the waters OF caller eras. PteradaaM is
the name given by the learned to the princi-
pal figure Of the following group:
The lofty forest trees, perhaps not much
unlike some existing but southern pines, are
woven together with thick underwood and
The open cu,nIy, where ii is nor wooded. Is
brown with numerous ferns, still the prepon-
deraung vegetation, and distributed in extern
sive groups. Here and there a tree is seen.
overturned and lying al its length upon the
ground, preserving It's shape, although thor
oughly rotten. and serving as the retreat OF
the scorpion, the cenlipede, and MANY bee
ties A few GuadruPeds not larger than rats,
but OF marsupial structure, are distinguished
al intervals, limid even ia the absence Of
danger, and scarcely appearing from their
shelter without great plecau,ion. These
feed upon the gubS and other insects living
upon or burTowing into the ground
"A strangel y formed animal, however. il
perceived running along upon the ground
It's general appearance in motion is that Of a
bird. bul its body and long neck, its head
and wings, are no, covered with feathers,
but are either quite bare, or perhaps resplen-
dent with glittering scales; its proportions
are quite unlike those of any known ami
NAL; its head is enormously long, and ike
that OF a crocodile; lis neck long and out
stretched, or thrown back on the body; its
fore eXtremities have four free toes. bu, the
fifth toe folded down on the body; lis hind
legs are short, and its feet perhaps webbed.
This animal, running along upon the ground,
Pursues and devoufs the little quadruped We
have been watching, and then, perhaps. darts
of towards the sea TO feed upon the fishes
which its peculiar powers would enable il TO
take, either bouncing upon and 81 transfx-
ing the victim, or even occasionally wad.ns
or dividing in search of prey
''But We have not vet noticed the slrangest
phenomenon. This mailed reptile, four Of
its fingers still free, but the fifth opened out.
and by connecting membrane forming 4
wing Of very large size, rises into the air,
and fits about or hovers overhead. realising
and even surprising. in the conditions OF
its existence, the widest NEUROLOGICAL ac-
counts Of flying dragons which We read OF,
or those representations which We see pc
tured by the pencil OF the Chimes. Thsss
is scarcely any freak Of the imagination.
however wild or vague, thai does not seem
surpassed by some rePtilian reality during
this remarkable penod
But the full glow of the professors ell
th,lsiasm is reserved for the agonistic ever
cises Of the Megalherium. Upon the Milo
like feais of Adamitic wres,lers, he Ell
tiers. side by side with ProfesSo, Owen, with
all the gnso of an amateur of the
| fancy"
"But presently the Nlesatherium himself
appears. toiling slowly on from some great
tree recently laid low and quite stripped Of
It's green covenns The earth groans under
the enormous mass; each step bears down
and cnlshes the thickly grown reeds and
other plants but the monster continues to
advance towards a noble tree. the monarch
Of this prinsrval forest For while he
pauses before II. as il doubling whether, nav
ing resisted the storms OF 50 many seasons, IL
will even Weld TO his vast strength. But soon
his resolution is taken. Having set himself
to the task, he first loosens the soil around
the tree and to a great depth BY the power
iul claws on his fore-feet, and IN this pre-
liminary work he occupies himself tor
awhile: and now observe him carefully.
| Malching close 10 the tree, watch hIm IA
he plants his monsrrous hind feet carefully
and earnestly. the long projecting claw Ia
king FIRM and deep hold Of the ground.
His tail is - placed as 10 rest on the ground
and support the body. The hind legs are
set, and the animal, htnng himself up like
a huge kangaroo, grasps the Tree with its
iore-legs al as great a height as possible,
and firmly grapples il with the muscles OF
the trunk, while the velvis and hind limbs,
animated by the nervous influence OF the
usually large spinal cord, combine all their
forces in the effort about to be made. And
now conceive the MASSIVE frame oil the Me
gatherium convulsed with the mighty wrest
linz. every v;hra,;na 6hrs raast,na upon its
bony attachment with the force OF hun
dred giants extraordinary must be tbs
strength and proportions Of the tree. if,
when rocked to and fro. TO right and left
in such AN embrace, it can long withstand
the efforts Of its assailant Owen, on The
8 Mylodon.) The tree at length gives way
the animal, although shaken and weary viii
the mighty effort, al once begins to strip OF
every green twig.
81 The effort, however, even when sue
; cessful, was not always without danger
: The tree in falling would sometimes BY il
weight crush its powerful assailant, and tn
: bulky animal, unable to guide it in its fall
E might often be injured by the trunk or tn
l larger branches. To guard against som
E of thi. risk, the skull, the most expose
e part, il found to exhibit more than usus
! defence against injury. 1t is more celluls
D than is usual with other animals, and IN
inner and stronger place is covered with a
e outer table and intermediate walls, to resis
e sudden and violent shock.
Il The las: chapter Of Mr.. Ansted's wor