The opossum was about the best-looking animal on the earth in those days. The rest were nearly all frightful monsters. There was the Ichthyosaurus, a great fish-lizard, thirty feet long, and ten times more dreadful than the present crocodiles. Then there was the Plesiosaurus, which had the body and feet of a turtle, only many times larger, a short stumpy tail, and a neck like a serpent, thirty feet long. And the Pterodactyls, like huge bats, with birds’ heads, and very long bills. After this race of animals died off there appeared upon the earth a better-looking set. But these, too, all died long before the deluge, and we have none of them now. One of these, the Anoplotherium, is supposed to have been something like our otter, but it was much larger; and I don’t think, myself from the pictures we have of him, that the likeness is very strong. ITURIM, AND HIS FORTUNES. The Antis Indians live in the mountainous districts of Peru. They have a proverb: “From happiness to misfortune is only a flea-leap.” Iturim proved the truth of this very early in life. He was a young Antis who had been so successful in his various journeys to the cities on the coast, where he sold apes and birds, that he was able to build and furnish a fine house; to adorn his person bravely; and to take a wife. This lucky fellow did not even have to make a clearing in the woods for his house. He found in the forest, just in the right place, an open space, containing only a small grove of palms. These graceful trees would make a pleasant shade for his dwelling, and the forest was sufficiently distant not to make it close and hot. If this clearing had been upon the bank of the river it would not have answered his purpose. For the Antis always make the clearings for their dwellings at a little distance from a water-course, taking care to have a thick growth between them and a river. Otherwise Indians who are not friendly to them would see the houses while paddling by in their canoes, and seize upon the first opportunity to steal everything they contained. Iturim’s house, or _ajoupa_, as he called it, was very large, because he owned so much property. Stakes were driven into the ground for supports to a long, sloping roof, thatched with straw. The sides were made of mud, hardened in the sun. He had a large assortment of pots, pans, kettles, knives, &c., that he had brought up from the coast from time to time. He made a net-work of strong vine stalks near the roof, on which to hang provisions. Otherwise the ants which were sure to invade the premises would make sad havoc with the eatables. On the earthen floor he spread beautifully prepared tapir skins. There was not so handsome a residence in all the Antis region. [Illustration: THE PALM GROVE.]