New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-04-25
DRAGoNs-sEcoND LECTURE BY MR.. WATER
HOUSE HAWKINS.

HOUSE HAWKINS.
a large and appreciativc audience was pres
ent at Cooper Institute evening to listen TO the sec
ond lecture OF the by Mr. Waterhouse Hawkins,
who chose for his subject The World Of Reptiles Living
ons At O'Clock Mr. iawIins appeared the platform,
and was received with applause He began by reading
extract from an English writer, who' more thau
quarter Of century ago. said: "Of fancys nOhstcls,
the winged fiery, scay Dragon has been the most
accepted fable In existence and found everywhere eN
cept I'm Mature" 10 his Intention on this Oc-
casion, the lecturer remarked. to show that the
Dragon was not myth. Although he qua not aver tai
this creature all that fancifu authors had claimed
for 1t, yet he hoped 10 prove that reptile answering
somewhat 20 the received description once existed
was worthy Of note that all OF people made similar
representations OF this n-ptle First we have the ia
pancse dragon "a represented by the bronze WIN
which the temples OF Japan were adorned. A drawing
OF this The lecturer nude on tne DhcA ooaru' Auu,i
20 the catacterstcs claimed TOT tne ulSo as quo!su
from the English author, he tlr H vale admitting the
Nlbseu hlu Is,, 1870" or y, ls 80
place full credence IN the ncry character OF ths now
extinct species Of animated creation There was Also II
tradition may be- believed, the Indian dragon without
wings with two pIoecug teeth whose food was not OF
the choicest lie was nocturnal feeder and ms safe
munger not illuminated In the representations OF
this reptile, although wingess we ma lndicaons Oh an
approach 10 these appondaees' which, IN one form OF
other are distinguishing features OF the DRAGON lieh
have the Chinese specimen OF the reple' tePeSSn'eu
being winged. and the dragon OF brlth esPeIlily 20
be found among heraldc records Of the Welsh and
closely CONNECTED with Didlcai history. vi an .es'
Mr. Hawkins made drawings The once existent creature
must have been cOldbiooded aud ms nervous system
pOndrrous ana -luggiS one OF lne loves. nlc,Ies
Of the reptile that which found III AFRICA ehcared ln
a cocoon Of dirt ana apparently OF an al9atc i1r,
nation. ON putting thls pail however INTO tePII
water, I'm glass tank. IL was discovered
that the outer covering came on ana the eneaseu nSy
looking creature came out oil the Sell ana showed Signs
OF animation having what appeared Ia be Kind OF pee
the bottom OF the tank The next grade II tha OF
the tadpole. ucpient frog. which hnally becomes
frog ~ reality. having lungs and mont ana NINA legs
Here the lecturer dcneacd these various species and
explained length their progressive changes lhere
wa he contended coming 10 the higher orders OF rtd,
unity OF tyre In all ~ them The turtle has bOny plates.
instead OF ribs like the crocodile the tail Is abbreviated
mode of existence Next heecturer spoke OF and denea
ted the various classes OF soipents, "hlch III tue
ever had an existence IL not confined TO crawling
AS means Of locomotion, but had power In some cases,
o project itself through the air, Tact that may have
Given rise TO the suppoon that II had the power Of fly
ing though wings were diseernble Oh It's BODY Inc
deueated its power OF expansion To so great an extent,
particularly in the boaccnstricor and cobradeeape3.
NJ 10 allow its swallowing OF large sized animal, which
il atenuates while IN the act OF forcing II down It's
throat was dwelt upon aud hly explained The cobras
TSSn Sl he bs and nsats itself SO as to ae
tate It's passage through the air when dartine
eIpalned This reptile. the lecturer thought Is the only
hyingrepresentative Of the flying dragon. The flying
M showing The general unity Of type that pertains
animal Kingdom and evineng the fact that nature Is
employ wbicS The Ieetnrer came 10 construct the
dragon on INHIBITION at sydenham Particles OF the orig
na bony OF the head and yertebra were FOUND
and also portion Of the wing framework. OF this lat
Ter the size OF the parts showed that the
ture, when alive, must have had bat-ke wings
measirine lC feet inches from tip 10 tip.
Other bones we're found belonging to dragon
whose wings were II feet aud subsequent discoveries
instned the belief that another OF these scaly erea-
lures reasoning from like analogy had wings ~ feetfr
tp 10 tip perfectly satisfied that dragons are
among the extinct Iepo and that they were both OF
aouatc and terrestrial formations As TO the ery quail
caon alleged have belonged to these
might even be "A shadow Of reasoning alleged Many OF
thep-those Of aquatic fonnation-fed fish, and the
decompOsed PARTICLES remaining IN the teeth OF the rep
file being highly phosphoscen may have given to the
dragons mouth appearance OF fire. aud thus origin
ated the fancfu and frigluul legends with which the
dragon IL always associated The lecturer was Loudly
applauded when he closed his discourse