FOOTPRINTS IN THE ROCKS. 433 



by a heart-shaped print, or a trail, that has come from the caudal 

 appendage. This remarkable quadrupedal display is succeeded by 

 another row of trifid impressions ; just as if the animal stopped to 

 rest on his journey, and then resumed his line of march. 



Surely no one can doubt the quadrupedal character of this Anomce- 

 pus. Yet, it was not till after years of discussion and discovery had 



Fig. 1. 



D> 



ANOMCEPU8 MAJOB. 



elapsed that his true relationship was appreciated. The first-discov- 

 ered rows were supposed to be ornithic, and it was these quadrupedal 

 features that led some authors hastily to infer that all the trifid im- 

 pressions were reptilian, or marsupial. The bipedal rows themselves 

 offer two features distinguishing the most nearly-allied forms from the 

 birds : first, the animals took very short steps ; and, secondly, the 

 great width of the track-way indicated a very broad body, probably 

 inferior, in delicacy of organization, to that of birds. To these two 

 invariable characters are commonly added a caudal trail, a fourth toe 

 on an occasional front-foot impression, so that the study of a large 

 suite of specimens will satisfy the most truthful observer that these 

 animals were not birds. The total number of species of this character 

 is 21. One of these equalled the largest Brontozoum in size, whose 

 front-foot has not yet been found, though we have indications of a 

 fourth toe behind, and a long, slender tail. 



It may not be out of place to allude briefly to the discoveries 

 which have confirmed the existence of the group of ornithic reptiles. 

 The first link in the series was furnished by the discovery of the nearly- 

 complete skeleton of a bird related to the raven in the lithographic 

 stone of the Jurassic series of Bavaria, called the Archeopteryx. A 

 feather belonging to this genus was found in 1861, and described with 

 great minuteness by Hermann von Meyer. Shortly afterward, An- 

 dreas "Wagner described the nearly-complete skeleton of an animal, to 

 which were attached feathers like the one made known by Von Meyer. 

 He called the animal a flying reptile. Prof. Owen, of the British 

 Museum, made a very thorough examination of the same specimen, 

 vol. in. 28 



