PALEONTOLOGICAL DISCOVERY. 369 



the name Ichthyosaurus, and Conybeare, who gave the generic desig- 

 nation Plesiosanrus, and also Mosasaurus, were among the earliest 

 writers in England on fossil reptiles. The discovery of these three 

 extinct types, and the discussion as to their nature form a most inter- 

 esting chapter in the annals of paleontology. The discovery of the 

 Iguanodon, by Mantell, and the Megcdosaurus, by Buckland, excited 

 still higher interest. These great reptiles differed much more widely 

 from living forms than the mammals described by Cuvier, and the pe- 

 riod in which they lived soon became known as the " age of Reptiles." 

 The subsequent researches of these authors added largely to the exist- 

 ing knowledge of various extinct forms, and their writings did much 

 to arouse public interest in the subject. 



Richard Owen, a pupil of Cuvier, followed, and brought to bear 

 upon the subject an extensive knowledge of comparative anatomy, and 

 a wide acquaintance with existing forms. His contributions have en- 

 riched almost every department of paleontology, and of extinct verte- 

 brates especially, he has been, since Cuvier, the chief historian. The 

 fossil reptiles of England he has systematically described, as well as 

 those of South Africa. The extinct Struthious birds of New Zealand 

 he has made known to science, and accurately described in extended 

 memoirs. His researches on the fossil mammals of Great Britain, the 

 extinct Edentates of South America, and the ancient Marsupials of 

 Australia, each forms an important chapter in the history of our 

 science. 



The personal researches of Falconer and Cautley in the Siwalik 

 Hills of India brought to light a marvelous vertebrate fauna of Plio- 

 cene age. The remains thus secured were made known in their great 

 work, " Fauna Antiqua Sivalensis," published at London in 1845. The 

 important contributions of Egerton to our knowledge of fossil fishes, 

 and Jardine's well-known work, " Ichnology of Annandale," also be- 

 long to this period. 



The study of vertebrate fossils in Germany was prosecuted with 

 much success during the present period. Blumenbach, the ethnologist, 

 in several publications between 1803 and 1814, recorded valuable ob- 

 servations on this subject. In 1813 Summering gave an excellent 

 figure of a pterodactyl, which he named and described. Goldfuss's 

 researches on the fossil vertebrates from the caves of Germany, pub- 

 lished in 1820-23, made known the more important facts of that 

 interesting fauna. His later publications on extinct amphibians and 

 reptiles were also noteworthy. Jilger's investigations on the extinct 

 vertebrate fauna of Wurtemberg, published between 1824 and 1839, 

 were an important advance. To Plieninger's researches in the same 

 region, 1834-'44, we owe the discovery of the first Triassic mammal 

 [Microlesfes), as well as important information in regard to Labyrin- 

 thodonts. Kaup's researches on fossil mammals, 1832-'41, brought to 

 light many interesting forms, and to him we are indebted for the 

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