The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1876-10-12

that the fauna and fibfa fall into groups
whose members are like each other, bnt
groups which are widely separated. and be-
tween which no intermediate forms arc
found, partaking Of sosse of the character
istios Of each. Mammals, birds, reptiles
are sharply defined: there is no intermeA
date between mammsl and bird, bird and,
reptile. Within one Of these divisions there
are; for instance, the. numerous family Of
pigs and ruminsnts, bat between them is
no connecting link; 50 Of the crockodiles,.
lizards, turtles, snakes &c., there are ab.
solute breaks betweenthem. If it could be.
shown that this state.of things had always.
existed, deadly blew would have been
struck against the theory; if. on the other
hand We can show that the differences were
not always such as they are now, and that
the breaks did not onse exist, the doctrine
will receive most material aid, though. it
will not be established. From the time
that Culver discovered the anaplotherium
in. the quarries Of Nibntmartre the conolu-
sion has been inevitable. The anaplothe>
rum is fossil pachJderm intermediate be-
tween the pigs and ruminants, and that gap
was closed but yet research showedIno
connecting link between birds and reptiles,
now SO sharply defined, and to this let US
turn our attention. In popular estimation
not groups are more widely different,
the birds being winged, feathered and
walking on their hind legs-apparently ap-
pFoximating not at all the reptiles. FOSSIL
birds are everywhere abundant in the ter
tisry rocks, but they, even the Oldest; are
like those Of the present day A few years
ego no remains Of birds had been diseov>
cred below the tertiary, and men were. not
wanting who prophesied boldly that, none
would ever be found there. OF late, how
lever, q few have been observed in the lower
rocks in England, and are abundant in the
cretaceous formaGisns in America, where
Professor Marsh has found specimens
wholly unknown before. The hesperorm;s
RECALLS in the latter cretaceous was q bird
six feet high, and resembled the reptiles in
this, that it had teeth. Before this diseov-
cry the possession Of teeth excluded ~ AZ
i1nal from the birds, and it was thus rem
dered necessary to modify our idea Of the
characteristics Of birds. The cassowary,
also unlike birds in parts Of its anatomy,
also renders necessary . change.of the old
views in regard to birds. In the middle
Of the Jurassic formation there was found
one feather imbedded in slate, which be-
longed to q bird long unknown, but one
specimen OF which was subsequently found
which unfortunately was without it's head.
50 that it is impossible to say whether ithad
teeth or net; its hind legs were those of
bird, but its vertebrm were unlike those of
any bird now existing. It had, moreover,
the tail Of reptile, but with feathers, and
its wings were like those of pterodactyi;
and others were found midway between
birds and eptiles-a bird with feathered
tail behind, but a reptile before. These
cases favor evolution. and show that in the
past creatures overstepped the boundaries
of our classes and groups and filed the zap
now existing. But it is possible to fill this
gap YET more strikingly. I'm the mesozoic
rocks are fossil flying creatures Of huge
proportions, with heal and neck Of ptero-
dactyls, with or long tails and pneumatio
cavities in their bones, and the large
breast bone Of the bird, but whose anterior
limbs were not birds wings, while their
posterior limbs were rep&ilian. Through
out the mesozoic rocks are huge iguane>
dons, megalosauri, &C., Of great diversity
Of structure, some like lizards and crocko-
dies, anil others with tho hind limbs Of q
bird The graduation from the crocodile,
through tho dinosaur, to the bird, is won>
derfully well marked, and shows another
link between the birds and reptiles, the
hind limbs developing and the anterior
ones dwindling. The eompsognathss long,
;pes. with birds head, with teeth, and
small fore legs, and birds hind legs,
needed only feathers to be bird, for, - in
the cassoway's case, teeth may exist in
bird Undoubtedly they walked, and prob
ably it is their tracks that are seen in the
rocks. They were probably the transitional