The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-01-05
DRAGONS Of TIE AIR
Something About the Extinct
PterodactyIes.
WHAT MON. CURVES SAYS
Facts and Suggestions of
Fossil Animals.

been made the subject OF exhaustive
study by II. G. sezIey. F. r s, professor
in Kings College. London. Re gives
the result of his Investigations in book
with the title Dragons Of the Air"
which is published by u. Appleton & Co
Mr.. Seeley was student of law az a
time when Sir Richard Owen was lectrr-
Ing on Extinct Fossil REPTILES" The
skin Of the great master who built bones
together as a child builds with a COX OF
bricks taught him that the laws which
determine the forms of animals were
less understood at that time than the
laws which govern the relations II men
IL their country. The laws OF nature
promised TO the author better return
Of new knowledge for reasonable study
Then ne went TO Cambridge and Cor ten
years worked with the professor OF geol-
cgy, the late Rev. Adam Segewick. IL.
D., r. s. in gathering their bones
from the so-caIled Cambridge coprcIite
bed, the Cambridge greensand. He dis
covered bones by the thousands. battered
and broken but instructive as better ma
! terial might have been.
Professor Seeley says that the history
of life on the earth during the epochs
! of geological time unfolds no more Won
derful discovery among types OF animals
which have become extinct than the fam
ily OF fossils known as flying reptiles.
Its coming into existence, its structure
and passing away from the living world
are among the great mysteries OF nature.
The animals are astonishingiv in their
| plan Of construction. In aspects they
are unlike birds and beasts which in
| this age hover over land and sea. They
gather TITO themselves in the body Of a
single Individual structures. which. at
the present day. are among the most
| distinct characters Of certain mammals
birds. and reptiles.
| The name flying reptile" expresses
this anomaly. It's invention Is due
to the genius OF the great French natur-
alist Cuvier. who was TIE first 70 realize
this extinct animal. entombed in slabs
Of stone. is one OF the wonders OF the
world
From the earliest period in human
records, representations have been
made Of animals which were furnished
with wings, yet walked upon four feet.
commonly called dragons.
The eftigy OF the dragon survives TO
the present day in the figure over which
st. George triumphs. on the reverse Of
the British Sovereign. in the iuxuriant
ina gihations of ancient Easter peoples.
dating back TO prehistoric ages. perhaps
5000 b. c.. the dragons present an aston
ishing constancy Of form.
In aftertimes they underwent a cur
ious evolution, as the conception OF Bah
ylon and Egypt Is traced through Assyria
TO Greece. The wings, which hal been
associated az first with the forelinls OF
the typical dragon. became Characters
tic Of the lion, and of Pegasus. the poets
winged horse. and finally OF the human
figure itself, carved on the great columns
Of the Greek temples OF Ephesus. These
flying animals are historically descend
ants Of the same common stock with the
dragons OF China and Japan. which stili
preserve the aspect OF reptiles. Their
interest is chiefly in evidence Of a latent
spirit OF evolution in days too remote
for its meaning now 10 be understood.
which has carried tho winged forms high
CT and ever higher in grade Of orgaui-
cation tin their wings ceased 10 oa as
ISOLATED with feelings OF terror. The
Hebrew cherubim are regarded by II. z.
Ryle, Bishop OF Exeter. as probable dra-
CONS. and the figure OF the conventional
angel is the human form OF the dragon.
Late in the eighteenth century a small
fossil animal with wings began 20 h
known through the writings OF coliini. |
as found IN the white photographic lime
-
was REGARDED By him as former inhab- |
liant OF tho sea Cuvier defined this /
fossil from Soloenhofen as distinguished /
by the extreme elongatiOn q the fourth /
digit Of the hand, and FOR that character /
invented for the small animal the name !
pterodactyIe. he SAYS that It's Tight /
was not due 20 prolongation q the ribs. /
as among living lizards named dragons. I
or 10 a winged formed without tho dIgits 4
being dlstinguishable from each other as 4
among birds, nor with one digit free from 4
the wing. as among bats bat BY having I
one wing supported mainly - a single 4
greatly elongated digit. while all the 4
others are short and terminate IN tie I
claws. Culver described the amazing IN i
detail. part by part; ard such has been
the influence Of Ms clear words and fame 4
- q great atanomist that nearly every +
writer IN after years IN Frfnch and I'm
qllsh repeated CuVler's conclusion and
maintained 20 the end thaf the animal
Is a saurlan-
Long before fashion determines. - a.
article a elucated fn belief fhat fessii
animals exist chisly % bridge ever tue
gaps betaeeu those which rllu survive.
the sclaauac men - Germany we're in-
cl.aed 70 aes in the ufero1actFle agca an
Intermediate ;ype ~ ufe At fret sosn-
merfrz ard wagner world have r.aced
the pfsrodactyle between rslarrsais a'ia
birds. Eu1 the areonpilshed rstazrailst
who deserted a7otEer fre si-eisteE -
q rterraaetyle la 1s18. san lE tbs fFi1z
animal 81 Indication a. ire c9zrze fa8sa
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