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On Some Remarkable Animal Forms
THE reasoning upon the question whether dragons, winged snakes, sea-serpents, unicorns, and other so-called fabulous monsters have in reality existed, and at dates coeval with man, diverges in several independent directions.
We have to consider : - 1.-Whether the characters attributed to these creatures are or are not so abnormal in comparison with those of known types, as to render a belief in their existence impossible or the reverse. 2.-Whether it is rational to suppose that creatures so formidable, and apparently so capable of self-protection, should disappear entirely, while much more defenceless species continue to survive them. 3. The myths, traditions, and historical allusions from which their reality may be inferred require to be classified and annotated, and full weight given to the evidence which has accumulated of the presence of man upon the earth during ages long prior to the historic period, and which may have been ages of slowly progressive civilization, or perhaps cycles of alternate light and darkness, of knowledge and barbarism. 4.-Lastly, some inquiry may be made into the geographical conditions obtaining at the time of their possible existence.
It is immaterial which of these investigations is first entered upon, and it will, in fact, be more convenient to defer a portion of them until we arrive at the sections of this volume treating specifically of the different objects to which it is devoted, and to confine our attention for the present to those subjects which, from their nature, are common and in a sense prefatory to the whole subject.
I shall therefore commence with a short examination of some of the most remarkable reptilian forms which are known to have existed, and for that purpose, and to show their general relations, annex the accompanying tables, compiled from the anatomy of vertebrated animals by Professor Huxley :- Amphibia.
REPTILES CLASSIFIED BY HUXLEY.
ORDER.
SUB-ORDER.
GROUPS.
ILLUSTRATIVE GENERA.
RANGE OF THE ORDER.
Chelonia. Land 1. Testudinea Pyxis, Cinyxis tortoises The Chelonia ور River and 2. Emydea marsh do. a Terra- Emys, Cistudo penes b Chelo- Chelys, Chelodina dines are first known to occur in the Lias.
Mud tor- 3. Trionychoidea Gymnopus toises Cryptopus To recent.
Turtles 4. Euereta وو Sphargis, Chelone Plesio- 5.
Post Plesiosaurus sauria.
Triassic Pliosaurus 6.