Since it was thus buried in silica away from the decomposing air and moisture, it was preserved for centuries--till we happened to discover it with a pick. LARRY You don’t say so! (_He looks at it a bit awed._) When we were digging trenches in No Man’s Land we used to find.... PROFESSOR What? LARRY Not that sort of bones. PROFESSOR This was in an excellent state of preservation. It is sixty feet long and must have weighed when alive forty tons. It took seven years to dig it out and mount it. We had to be very careful not to break its marvelous tail. If you’ll walk to the other end you’ll get an idea of its length. We found ninety-seven perfect vertebræ. LARRY Ninety-seven? You don’t say so? PROFESSOR You can count them and see. LARRY Ninety-seven what you call ’ems! Think of that. (_As he goes up._) And you say it came from Wyoming? PROFESSOR Yes. LARRY (_Proudly_) That’s my state, too. (LARRY _wanders off out of sight looking at the fossil. As the_ PROFESSOR _starts to follow_, LIVINGSTON, _who has been watching his wife and_ HOOD, _stops him_.) LIVINGSTON I beg your pardon. I hope you won’t mind our being interested in what you were saying; but we were wondering about the animal ourselves. (HOOD _looks at_ BESS _quickly not knowing what_ LIVINGSTON _is driving at_.) PROFESSOR (_Brightening_) Indeed? I’m afraid our young friend is a bit irreverent. LIVINGSTON May I ask what is known of its domestic habits? PROFESSOR It was hardly a domestic animal. Its family life probably extended only during the infancy of its young. LIVINGSTON Was this a female, by chance? PROFESSOR Yes: the large pelvic development.... LIVINGSTON This one undoubtedly had young, too? PROFESSOR Of course. But we have never found any of its eggs. It was a reptile, you know. LIVINGSTON But while they were dependent it undoubtedly fought to protect its young--like other animals? PROFESSOR With very few exceptions all the female animals at least do that; even those of low intelligence. LIVINGSTON This one couldn’t by any chance have been wooed away from that obligation by romantic notions? PROFESSOR (_Suspiciously_) This--romantic? LIVINGSTON But you said it roamed in search of adventure? PROFESSOR (_A bit on his dignity_) Romance lies in the field of the emotions: I am a scientist. LIVINGSTON What I mean is: was she faithful to one or promiscuous? PROFESSOR (_Embarrassed_) Undoubtedly promiscuous. LIVINGSTON Of course.--You see, Bess, the lady existed before man made his conventions. PROFESSOR Yes. She could follow all her natural instincts. LIVINGSTON Which were? PROFESSOR Food and fighting. You will observe her large maw and small brain. Her main weapon of defense was her long powerfully muscled tail. From the teeth, we deduce she was mainly herbivorous. LIVINGSTON What did she feed on? PROFESSOR Everything she could pick up. LIVINGSTON (_Significantly_)