“The first lizard possest the snout of a dolphin, the head of
a lizard, the teeth and jaws of a crocodile, the backbone of a
fish, paddles like those of a whale and the trunk and tail of a
quadruped--a very monarch of the early seas. Kill or be killed
must have been the rule of his life,” says the great French
novelist Currie. But it would seem the coat of mail worn by the
tortoises and turtles was a better protection than the powerful
claws and jaws of the fish-lizard, which was short-lived. The
former are alive and flourishing to this day--the latter have
altogether vanished. On the grave of John Keats are the words,
“Here lies one whose name was writ in water.” (Text.)
(2332)
=Permanent Impressions=--See TEACHER’S FUNCTION, THE.