however, so very remote that we have no record of it. Scientific men
base their arguments in favor of this theory on the facts that whales
are not true fish, but are indeed land mammals adapted to living in the
water.

Their fore-limbs, though reduced to mere paddles, have all the bones,
joints, and even most of the muscles, nerves, and arteries of the human
arm and hand. The rudiments of hind-legs are found buried deep in the
interior of the animal, and in the young whales bristles about the chin
and upper lip give evidence that the whales have once been covered with
hair like other mammals.

The blubber is also arranged by nature as a means for keeping their
bodies warm. True fishes are cold-blooded animals, and not sensible to
differences of temperature.

All these different facts make people think that at some very remote
period whales were land animals.

EDITOR.




THE GREAT ROUND WORLD AND THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED ON IT.




CHAPTER I.