100 The Fossil Skeleton found at Maidstone. 



removed from Lewes to Brighton. Dr. Mantell, to whom we 

 are entirely indebted for a knowledge of the true character of 

 the fossil bones of large animals found in the wealds of Kent 

 and Sussex, has, with much labour and skill, cleared away 

 part of the stone in which the remains of the Maidstone 

 fossil are embedded ; and has ascertained in a satisfactory 

 manner, that it belonged to that enormous herbivorous rep- 

 tile which he has called the Iguanodon, from its close 

 resemblance in structure to the iguana of the West Indies. 

 In III. 9 — 17. [VI. 75.], of this Magazine, there is a de- 

 scription of the Mantellian museum, then at Lewes^ with 

 cuts of the teeth of the iguanodon, and some account of the 

 large bones which had then been discovered, and were placed 

 in the museum. It is remarkable that all the bones of this 

 animal which had been previously found in Tilgate Forest 

 were detached and separate ; but in the Maidstone fossil 

 they are collected in one mass of stone, and evidently be- 

 longed to one individual reptile. Having recently visited 

 Dr. Mantell's museum, I had intended giving a short account 

 of this skeleton ; but, as Dr. Mantell has since reprinted a 

 catalogue (noticed in p. 125.) of his museum, which contains 

 a brief and clear description of the Maidstone fossil, I shall 

 extract it, as it will probably interest many of your readers, 

 who have not an opportunity of visiting the museum : — 



"The specimen consists of a considerable portion of the pos- 

 terior part of the skeleton of an iguanodon, which, when living, 

 must have been upwards of 60 ft. in length. The bones are 

 embedded in the stone in a very confused manner ; with but 

 few exceptions, none of them are in the order of juxtaposi- 

 tion which they hold in the recent skeleton of the iguana, 

 and all of them are more or less distorted by the compression 

 they have undergone, since their first envelopement in the 

 rock, which, we need scarcely observe, was originally sand. 



" The following bones are well displayed ; and there are 

 fragments of many others which are too imperfect to admit of 

 their characters being determined : — Two thigh-bones, each 

 2 ft. 9 in. long. One leg bone (tibia), 2ft. 6 in. long. Bones of 

 the hind feet, both metatarsal and phalangeal : these much re- 

 semble the corresponding bones in the hippopotamus. Two 

 claw-bones (nnguical phalanges), which were covered by the 

 nail or claw : these correspond with the unguical bones of 

 the land tortoise. Two finger, or metacarpal, bones of the 

 fore feet, each 1 ft. 2 in. in length. A radius, or bone of the 

 fore arm. Several dorsal and caudal vertebras (bones of the 

 spine and tail). Fragments of several ribs. Two clavicles, or 

 collar bones, each 2 ft. 4 in. in length : these bones are of a very 



