Part 2

Legend of the Moa, 139; our knowledge of the Moas, 141; some Moas wingless, 142; deposits of Moa bones, 143; legend of the Roc, 144; discovery of AEpyornis, 145; large-sounding names, 146; eggs of great birds, 147; the Patagonian Phororhacos, 149; the huge Brontornis, 150; development of giant birds, 153; distribution of flightless birds, 154; relation between flightlessness and size, 156; references, 156.

IX. THE ANCESTRY OF THE HORSE

North America in the Eocene age, 160; appearance of early horses, 163; early domestication of the horse, 165; the toes of horses, 166; Miocene horses small, 167; evidence of genealogy of the horse, 170; meaning of abnormalities, 170; changes in the climate and animals of the West, 174; references, 176.

X. THE MAMMOTH

The story of the killing of the Mammoth, 177; derivation of the word "mammoth," 178; mistaken ideas as to size of the Mammoth, 179; size of Mammoth and modern elephants, 180; finding of an entire Mammoth, 182; birthplace of the Mammoth, 184; beliefs concerning its bones, 185; the range of the animal, 186; theories concerning the extinction of the Mammoth, 188; Man and Mammoth, 189; origin of the Alaskan Live Mammoth Story, 190; traits of the Innuits, 192; an entire Mammoth recently found, 194; references, 195.

XI. THE MASTODON

Differences between Mastodon and Mammoth, 198; affinities of the Mastodon, 200; vestigial structures, 201; distribution of American Mastodon, 203; first noticed in North America, 204; thought to be carnivorous, 206; Koch's Missourium, 208; former abundance of Mastodons, 209; appearance of the animal, 210; its size, 211; was man contemporary with Mastodon? 213; the Lenape stone, 215; legend of the big buffalo, 216; references, 218.

XII. WHY DO ANIMALS BECOME EXTINCT?

Extinction sometimes evolution, 221; over-specialization as a cause for extinction, 222; extinction sometimes unaccountable, 223; man's capability for harm small in the past, 224; old theories of great convulsions, 226; changes in nature slow, 227; the case of Lingula, 228; local extermination, 229; the Moas and the Great Auk, 232; the case of large animals, 233; inter-dependence of living beings, 234; coyotes and fruit, 236; Shaler on the Miocene flora of Europe, 236; man's desire for knowledge, 238.

INDEX, 243

NOTE ON THE ILLUSTRATIONS

The original drawings, made especially for this book, are by Charles R. Knight and James M. Gleeson, under the direction of Mr. Knight. The fact that the originals of these drawings have been presented to and accepted by the United States National Museum is evidence of their scientific value. Mr. Knight has been commissioned by the Smithsonian Institution, the United States National Museum, and the New York Museum of Natural History, to do their most important pictures of extinct animals. He is the one modern artist who can picture prehistoric animals with artistic charm of presentation as well as with full scientific accuracy. In this instance, the author has personally superintended the artist's work, so that it is as correct in every respect as present knowledge makes possible. Of the minor illustrations, some are by Mr. Bruce Horsfall, an artist attached to the staff of the New York Museum of Natural History, and all have been drawn with the help of and under the author's supervision.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Fig. Page

Phororhacos, a Patagonian Giant of the Miocene From a Drawing by Charles R. Knight Frontispiece

1. Diplomystus, an Ancient Member of the Shad Family From the fish-bed at Green River, Wyoming. From a specimen in the United States National Museum. 4

2. Bryozoa, from the Shore of the Devonian Sea that Covered Eastern New York From a specimen in Yale University Museum, prepared by Dr. Beecher. 10

3. Skeleton of a Radiolarian Very Greatly Enlarged 17

4. Cephalaspis and Loricaria, an Ancient and a Modern Armored Fish 24

5. Pterichthys, the Wing Fish 32

6. Where a Dinosaur Sat Down 38

7. Footprints of Dinosaurs on the Brownstone of the Connecticut Valley From a slab in the museum of Amherst College. 40

8. The Track of a Three-toed Dinosaur 47

9. A Great Sea Lizard, Tylosaurus Dyspelor From a drawing by J. M. Gleeson. 52

10. Jaw of a Mosasaur, Showing the Joint that Increased the Swallowing Capacity of that Reptile 54

11. Koch's Hydrarchus. Composed of Portions of the Skeletons of Several Zeuglodons 62

12. A Tooth of Zeuglodon, One of the "Yoke Teeth," from which it derives the name 69

13. Archaeopteryx, the Earliest Known Bird From the specimen in the Berlin Museum. 70