Animals of the Past

Written when 'dinosaur' was still a new word in most homes: the American Museum's own guide to sea-serpents of Kansas, birds with teeth, and why great creatures vanish — with Charles R. Knight's famous restorations.

Flying Reptiles

3 pages in this part of Animals of the Past.

Flying Reptiles

The Flying Reptiles, Pterodactyls, or as Professor Seeley has aptly termed them, Dragons of the Air, were passed over in previous editions…

Flying Reptiles: Pterodactyls

And just as Pterodactyls played the part of birds as regards flight, so they seem like the birds to have been creatures of varying size and…

Flying Reptiles: Pteranodon

Later on, in the Cretaceous, Pterodactyls became abundant and in what is now the State of Kansas reached their greatest size in the shape…

Rights & ReuseThe complete text of Animals of the Past (1901) is in the public domain in the United States — like all works published before 1928 — and is free to read, download, quote, teach from, and reuse. This digital edition (its transcription, restored plates, and site design) is © 2026 PhotoOpAI, and any editorial commentary we add is clearly marked as ours; the underlying public-domain text carries no such restriction.