The Adventures of a Grain of DustHawksworth, Hallam
History
The Adventures of a Grain of Dust
Hawksworth, Hallam
Natural history -- Juvenile literature; Physical geography
See the point? The baron argued that because the monster had horns
and hoofs he must be a grain-eater; for all creatures with both
horns and hoofs are grain-eaters. This particular creature, to be
sure, was an eater of both meat and grain--being one of Cuvier's
students who was trying to play a trick on him. But the principle
holds good. The scientists, _knowing_ one thing, _infer_ another.
Because animals with both horns and hoofs eat no meat Cuvier knew
his visitor couldn't eat _him_, even if he'd been real and not just
made up.
For another instance, take our queer old friend that Professor
Blackie wrote the funny rhyme about--the Ichthyosaurus "with a saw
for a jaw and a big staring eye." The scientists figure, just from
looking into the hollow socket where the eye used to be, that he
could see at night like a cat--and right through muddy water, too;
that he spent most of his time in shallows near the shore; that it
didn't make any difference to him whether a fish was near or far,
provided it wasn't too far, of course, for he could see it and catch
it, just the same. They also said--these learned men, after peering
into the dark hollow where that remarkable eye used to be--that Mr.
Ichthyosaurus spent a great deal of time diving and a great deal of
time with his homely face just above the surface of the water.
Why they could reason all this from a hollow eye socket and some
bony, flexible plates around the outer edge of it, you will see by
referring to such books as "Animals of the Past," by F. A. Lucas,
director of the American Museum of Natural History; "Creatures of
Other Days" and "Extinct Monsters," by Hutchinson; "Extinct
Animals," by Lankester; "Mighty Animals," by Mix; the chapter "When
the World was Young," in Lang's "Red Book of Animal Stories," and
"Restoring Prehistoric Monsters" in "Uncle Sam, Wonder Worker," by
Du Puy.
Here are some more conclusions they draw from certain facts. See how
near you can come to reasoning them out for yourself before looking
them up in the books that tell.
Why it is supposed the Dinosaurs swam like Crocodiles. (Look at the
picture of Mr. I., and pay _particular_ attention to his tail.)
Why it is they say that the sea-lizards with long necks must have
had small heads.
Why it is argued that because the Mesosaurus had a hinge in his jaw
he must have had a big, loose, baggy throat.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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