the.lost.world-第46节

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blow　the　place　up。。。。〃
　　　　〃Ssssh；〃　Levine　hissed　angrily；　shaking　his　head。　He　turned　back　to　the　parasaurs。　This　was　no　time　to　be　interrupted　by　a　vulgar　young　fool。　Several　of　the　animals　bent　their　heads　down；　and　began　to　lick　the　puddles　of　urine。　No　doubt　they　wanted　to　recover　lost　nutrients；　he　thought。　Perhaps　salt。　Or　perhaps　hormones。　Or　perhaps　it　was　something　seasonal。　Or　perhaps　…
　　　　Levine　edged　forward。
　　　　They　knew　so　little　about　these　creatures。　They　didn't　even　know　the　most　basic　facts　about　their　lives　…　how　they　ate；　how　they　eliminated；　how　they　slept　and　bred。　A　whole　world　of　intricate；　interlocking　behaviors　had　evolved　in　these　long…vanished　animals。　Understanding　them　now　could　be　the　work　of　a　lifetime　for　dozens　of　scientists。　But　that　would　probably　never　happen。　All　he　could　hope　to　do　was　make　a　few　conjectures；　a　few　simple　deductions　that　skimmed　the　surface　of　the　plexity　of　their　lives。
　　　　The　parasaurs　trumpeted；　and　headed　deeper　into　the　forest。　Levine　moved　forward　to　follow　them。
　　　　〃Dr。　Levine；〃　Eddie　said　quietly。　〃Get　on　the　bike。　Now。〃
　　　　Levine　ignored　him；　but　as　the　big　animals　departed；　he　saw　dozens　of　tiny　green　dinosaurs　leap　chattering　out　into　the　clearing。　He　realized　at　once　what　they　were：　Propsognathus　triassicus。　Small　scavenger；　found　by　Fraas　in　1913；　in　Bavaria。　Levine　stared；　fascinated。　Of　course　he　knew　the　animal　well；　but　only　from　reconstructions；　because　there　were　no　plete　skeletons　of　Propsognathus　anywhere　in　the　world。　Ostrom　had　done　the　most　plete　studies；　but　he　had　to　work　with　a　skeleton　that　was　badly　crushed；　and　fragmentary。　The　tall；　neck；　and　arms　were　all　missing　from　the　animals　Ostrom　described。　Yet　here　the　propsognathids　were；　fully　formed　and　active；　hopping　around　I　Ike　so　many　chickens。　As　he　watched；　the　pys　began　to　eat　the　fresh　dung；　and　drink　what　was　left　of　the　urine。　Levine　frowned。　Was　that　part　of　ordinary　scavenger　behavior？
　　　　Levine　wasn't　sure。。。。
　　　　He　edged　forward；　to　look　at　them　more　closely。
　　　　〃Dr。　Levine！〃　Eddie　whispered。
　　　　It　was　interesting　that　the　pys　only　ate　fresh　dung；　not　the　dried　remnants　that　were　everywhere　in　the　clearing。　Whatever　nutrients　they　were　obtaining　from　the　dung；　it　must　only　be　present　in　fresh　specimens。　That　suggested　a　protein　or　hormone　that　would　degrade　over　time。　Probably　he　should　obtain　a　fresh　sample　for　analysis。　He　reached　into　his　shirt　pocket；　and　withdrew　a　plastic　baggie。　He　moved　among　the　pys；　which　seemed　indifferent　to　his　presence。
　　　　He　crouched　down　by　the　nearest　dung　pile；　and　reached　slowly　forward。
　　　　〃Dr。　Levine！〃
　　　　He　glanced　back；　annoyed；　and　in　that　moment　one　of　the　pys　leapt　forward　and　bit　his　hand。　Another　jumped　onto　his　shoulder　and　bit　his　car。　Levine　yelled；　and　stood　up。　The　pys　hopped　onto　the　ground　and　scampered　away。
　　　　〃Damn　it！〃　he　said。
　　　　Eddie　drove　up　on　the　motorcycle。　〃That's　enough；〃　he　said。　〃Get　on　the　damn　bike。　We're　getting　out　of　here。〃

Nest

The　red　Jeep　Wrangler　came　to　a　stop。　Directly　ahead；　the　game　trail　they　had　been　following　continued　through　the　foliage；　to　a　clearing　beyond。　The　game　trail　was　wide　and　muddy；　trampled　flat　by　large　animals。　They　could　see　large；　deep　footprints　in　the　mud。
　　　　From　the　clearing；　they　heard　a　low　honking　noise；　like　the　sound　of　very　large　geese。　Dodgson　said；　〃Okay。　Give　me　the　box。〃
　　　　King　didn't　answer。
　　　　Baselton　said；　〃What　box？〃
　　　　Without　taking　his　eyes　off　the　clearing；　Dodgson　said；　〃There's　a　black　box　on　the　seat　beside　you；　and　a　battery　pack。　Give　them　to　me。〃
　　　　Baselton　grunted。　〃It's　heavy。〃
　　　　〃That's　because　of　the　cone　magnets。〃　Dodgson　reached　back；　took　the　box；　which　was　made　of　black　anodized　metal。　It　was　the　size　of　a　shoebox；　except　it　ended　in　a　flaring　cone。　Underneath　was　mounted　a　pistol　grip。　Dodgson　clipped　a　battery　pack　to　his　belt；　and　plugged　it　into　the　box。　Then　he　picked　the　box　up　by　the　pistol　grip。　There　was　a　knob　at　the　back；　facing　him；　and　a　graduated　dial。
　　　　Dodgson　said；　〃Batteries　charged？〃
　　　　〃They're　charged；〃　King　said。
　　　　〃Okay；〃　Dodgson　said。　〃I'll　go　first；　into　the　nest　area。　I'll　adjust　the　box；　and　get　rid　of　the　animals。　You　two　follow　behind　me；　and　once　the　animals　are　gone；　you　each　take　an　egg　from　the　nest。　Then　you　leave；　and　bring　them　back　to　the　car。　I'll　e　back　last。　Then　we　all　drive　off；　Got　it？〃
　　　　〃Right；〃　Baselton　said。
　　　　〃Okay；〃　King　said。　〃What　kind　of　dinosaurs　are　these？〃
　　　　〃I　have　no　fucking　idea；〃　Dodgson　said；　climbing　out　of　the　car。　〃And　it　doesn't　make　any　difference。　Just　follow　the　procedure。〃　He　closed　the　door　softly。
　　　　The　others　got　out　quietly；　and　they　started　forward；　down　the　wet　trail。　Their　feet　squished　in　the　mud。　The　sound　from　the　clearing　continued。　To　Dodgson；　it　sounded　like　a　lot　of　animals。
　　　　He　pushed　aside　the　last　of　the　ferns　and　saw　them。
　　　　It　was　a　large　nesting　site；　with　perhaps　four　or　five　low　earthen　mounds；　covered　in　grasses。　The　mounds　were　about　seven　feet　wide；　and　three　feet　deep。　There　were　twenty　beige…colored　adults　around　the　mounds…a　whole　herd　of　dinosaurs；　surrounding　the　nesting　site。　And　the　adults　were　big；　thirty　feet　long　and　ten　feet　high；　all　honking　and　snorting；
　　　　〃Oh；　my　God；〃　Baselton　said；　staring。
　　　　Dodgson　shook　his　head。　〃They're　maiasaurs　；　he　whispered。　〃This　is　going　to　be　a　piece　of　cake。〃

Maiasaurs　had　been　named　by　paleontologist　Jack　Horner。　Before　Horner；　scientists　assumed　that　dinosaurs　abandoned　their　eggs；　as　most　reptiles　did。　Those　assumptions　fitted　the　old　picture　of　dinosaurs　as　cold…blooded；　reptilian　creatures；　Like　reptiles；　they　were　thought　to　be　solitary；　murals　on　museum　walls　rarely　showed　more　than　one　example　from　each　species　…　a　brontosaurus　here；　a　stegosaurus　or　a　triceratops　there；　wading　through　the　swamps。　But　Horner's　excavations　in　the　badlands　of　Montana　provided　clear；　unambiguous　evidence　that　at　least　one　species　of　hadrosaurs　had　engaged　in　plex　nesting　and　parenting　behavior。　Horner　incorporated　that　behavior　in　the　name　he　gave　these　creatures：　maiasaur　meant　〃good…mother　lizard。〃
　　　　Watching　them　now；　Dodgson　could　see　the　maiasaurs　were　indeed　attentive　parents；　the　big　adults　circling　the　nests；　moving　carefully　to　step　outside　the　shallow　earthen　mounds。　The　beige　maiasaurs　were　duck…billed　dinosaurs；　they　had　large　heads　that　ended　in　a　broad；　flattened　snout；　rather　like　the　bill　of　a　duck。
　　　　They　were　taking　mouthfuls　of　grass；　and　dropping　it　on　the　eggs　in　the　mounds。　This　was；　he　knew；　a　way　to　regulate　the　temperature　of　the　eggs。　If　the　huge　animals　sat　on　the　eggs；　they　would　crush　them。　So　instead　they　put　a　layer　of　grass　over　the　eggs；　which　trapped　heat　and　kept　the　eggs　at　a　more　constant　temperature。　The　animals　worked　steadily。
　　　　〃They're　huge；〃　Baselton　said。
　　　　〃They're　nothing　but　oversized　cows；〃　Dodgson　said。　Although　the　maiasaurs　were　large；　they　were　plant…eaters；　and　they　had　the　docile；　slightly　stupid　manner　of　cows。　〃Ready？　Here　we　go。〃
　　　　He　lifted　the　box　like　a　gun；　and　stepped　forward；　into　view。

Dodgson　expected　a　big　reaction　when　the　maiasaurs　saw　him；　but　there　was　none　at　all。　They　hardly　seemed　to　notice　him。　One　or　two　adults　looked　over；　stared　with　dumb　eyes；　and　then　looked　away。　The　animals　continued　to　drop　grass　on　the　eggs；　which　were　pale　white；　oval；　and　nearly　two　feet　long。　Each　was　about　twice　the　size　of　an　ostrich　egg。　About　the　size　of　a　small　beach　ball。　No　animals　had　hatched　yet。
　　　　King　and　Baselton　stepped　out；　and　stood　beside　him　in　the　clearing。　Still　the　maiasaurs　ignored　them。
　　　　〃Amazing；〃　Baselton　said。
　　　　〃Fine　for　us；〃　Dodgson　said。　And　he　turned　on　the　box。
　　　　A　continuous；　high…pitched　shriek　filled　the　clearing。　The　maiasaurs　immediately　turned　toward　the　sound；　honking　and　lifting　their　heads。　They　seemed　agitated；　confused。　Dodgson　twisted　the　dial；　and　the　shriek　became　higher；　ear…splitting。
　　　　The　maiasaurs　bobbed　their　heads；　and　moved　away　from　the　painful　sound。　They　clustered　at　the　far　end　of　the　clearing。　Several　of　the　animals　urinated　in　alarm。　A　few　of　them　moved　away　into　the　folliage；　abandoning　the　nest。　They　were　agitated；　but　they　stayed　away。
　　　　〃Go　now；〃　Dodgson　said。
　　　　King　stepped　into　the　nearest　nest；　and　grunted　as　he　picked　up　an　egg。　His　arms　hardly　reached　around　the　huge　oval。　The　maiasaurs　honked　at　him；　but　none　of　the　'　adults　moved　forward。　Then　Baselton　went　into　the　nest；　took　an　egg；　and　followed　King　back　to　the　car。
　　　　Dodgson　walked　backward；　holding　the　box　on　the　adults。　At　the　edge　of　the　clearing；　he　turned　the　sound　off。
　　　　At　once　the　maiasaurs　came　back；　honking　loudly　and　repeatedly。　But　as　they　returned　to　the　nests；　it　seemed　as　if　the　adults　forgot　what　had　just　happened。　Within　a　few　moments；　they　ceased　honking；　and　went　back　to　dropping　grass　over　the　eggs。　They　ignored　Dodgson　as　he　left　and　headed　back　along　the　game　trail。
　　　　Stupid　animals；　Dodgson　thought；　as　he　went　to　the　car。　Baselton　and　King　were　setting　the　eggs　into　big　Styrofoam　containers　in　the　back；　and　fitting　the　foam　packing　around　them　carefully。　Both　men　were　grinning　like　kids。
　　　　〃That　was　am