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Birds Ancestors.

Scientists in general agree that both birds
and mamals developed from reptiles or reptile-
like animals, reptiles, birds, and mamals together
with amphibia having origanted in the lower
border of fishes. It appears that long before
birds were involved there existed certain species
of flying reptiles among them being the Pterodactyl,
found in the jurassic rocks of [Barvaria]. These flying
lizards had hands with five fingers, the fifth
being about ten times as long as the others
and between the little finger and the first and
second joints of the leg was stretched a skin
membrane similar to that of bats.

With such a wing continous flight was
possible. These Pterodactyls may have had their
origin in other lizards which had not the power
of continous flight, but which could only fly to some
tree top or other high point and jump after its prey,
using its skin appendages just as a flying squirrel
does today.

It seems probably that the conditions which
brought about aerial soaring or real flight may
have been an over-crowding of seas and lands
so that food became scarce and these animals
found it necessary to invade the [the] for food.