What a wonder is this, that a frail and short-lived creature should have maintained itself unaltered, generation after generation, while, with mighty convulsions the face of nature has changed, and changed, and changed again; the whole surface of the globe undergoing transformations which left unaffected this one little reptile. The hatteria belongs to the lizard-like reptiles with tails and scales; is possessed of four legs, the front pair being hand-like in structure. The creature suggests to us some venerable grandparent who has divided a large part of his patrimony among numerous descendants and collaterals; for the other four orders of reptiles all share some of the characteristics of the hatteria, as if it had divided its traits among them. We might write them thus:-- Snakes. } Crocodiles. } HATTERIA. { Fossil Saurians and Lizards. Lizards. } Turtles. } So there is the hatteria, or sphenodon, a link between the new and the old. To explain all the points of likeness and difference would be to write an elaborate treatise on comparative osteology, or the science of skeletons. While passing over in silence the matter of the bones, we can note a few plain points of likeness between the sphenodon and other reptiles. When the tail or any part of the tail is broken it is renewed as the crustaceans renew a leg or claw;[50] this power it holds in common with some of the lizards, which have very brittle tails. The vertebræ of the tail are made in two portions, and the line of junction in each vertebra is the weakest part; so if the tail is broken it is broken on this line, and not between two vertebræ; and on this line it is renewed. The famous philosopher, Aristotle, and that other famous ancient student of nature, Pliny, seem to have been much impressed with this ability to renew broken tails. The skull of the hatteria is more like that of a crocodile than like that of any other reptile; but on the other hand its legs are like those of the lizard, so that a description of the bones of the leg and foot of a lizard, would answer almost equally well for a sphenodon. The hatteria has nine more vertebræ in its tail than in all the rest of its body and its head together; and to aid it in its motions while impeded by this long tail, it has some especial muscles, such as are very prominently developed in the serpent family. As the hatteria grows old its teeth wear down to a simple cutting edge, as do those of snakes. The New Zealand native name for the hatteria is rather pretty--tuatera. Strangely enough the Maoris of New Zealand have a superstitious horror of the creature, and turn pale and shiver with abject fear if they merely see one. Does the tuatera merit their aversion? Not at all. It is not handsome, some call it exceedingly unpleasing in appearance, but no creature is so absolutely harmless. It is without weapons of offence or defence, and without energy to use such weapons if it possessed them.