422 Fossil Plesiosaurus found near Bedford. 



Art. IX. A short Account of a Fossil Skeleton of a Plesiosaurus, 

 lately discovered near the Tolvn of Bedford. By Mr. Edmund 

 svJRv .WjLLiAMsojhn jo'1 eew bfi9il 0V1 .cti 8 Juods io\ Hai 

 yiis'icfSippB bciB f ^ninifim9*i sib as'td'vhev laoivteo srh lo 

 In the early part of January [17.], 1833, the labourers 

 employed in digging brick earth on the property of Mr. John 

 Howard discovered some bones about five feet and a half 

 beneath the surface, which circumstance they communicated 

 to Mr. Robert Adams, the curator of the museum attached to 

 the Bedford General Library, who immediately proceeded to 

 the spot, commenced clearing away the earth, and in a few 

 hours discovered the caudal vertebra? of a fossil animal, in 

 an almost perfect state, which in the end proved to be a 

 Plesiosaurus. Mr. Adams next uncovered the right hind 

 paddle, which he completely cleaned and washed, and which 

 was also very perfect. The parts that had been found were 

 now covered up with matting and straw, to preserve them 

 from the weather, until the digging could be resumed on the 

 following Monday. Upon Mr. Adam's walking to the field 

 to ascertain whether every thing was safe, he found the mat- 

 ting and straw removed, and some of the cleaned bones 

 broken and scattered about ; but the greater part had been 

 stolen during the morning. I am sorry to say that it was 

 found out that some of the missing bones were in the posses- 

 sion of a person who, from his station in life, ought to have 

 known better. As I was not in Bedford when the skeleton 

 was first discovered, I did not go to the place until the Mon- 

 day, when I found, to my great mortification, the report of 

 Jiteotesemc^n^oelwu&B 9Afelw€rI%odl^&teqipD0vk)'ufely foaM 

 -atty diirtg^flhefkifada' w«dwe»tiiail<wj«hstnte &ggiii|opgbdiop^fe 

 sbK^«nBngtft#fbifen^p^6Trth8^witedl,rfa«rd t bnittw8'iwe partly 

 ^toeseecteld 9We}4^M&iihdqs©ft*& fhagmstits of ribs, btobiin 

 -tttb ^ets«^edelw^at^ $0 flawoqab^Jthie left fore paddle next 

 leamb«^fti^htfp«fi*<d)fi)biif} v^n§cfean§fclc tftadfody of Captain 

 bWilManOH^^mfcft, bRxjN^ctodkflian^Y^s^ocsdaiiopresft^i Hh 

 Iplalte^tj^^oupw^ ^'imi&fetfoemfy attempting ^aorsmoiie 

 the bones, most of them fell to pieces : perhaps the oil used 

 ?i«fitkkin^lt(hb"ln^*4&!^il|^h*distofodiec1nhBA 3&a ntuchii This 

 fin or paddle was 3 ft. 9 in. long, from the shoulder bone 

 to th#^<$it&e^^n^e#j <ahd/i]I ftei^dipjyeide afcthe broad- 

 est part of .3l$e eW&d^-firiSe ju-u Ihe part between the meta- 

 i^r^>H>nW«n$ ifofflpti&\&q>wMlvfas 8 in. wide. The 

 phalanges are 2£ in. long, by ljin. wide, at each extremity; 

 in the middle of their length their diameter was not so much. 

 There were four rows of phalanges ; and seven in the first row, 

 eight in the second, eight in the third, and four in the fourth. 



