ICHTHYOSAURIAN REPTILES. 



517 



evident from several considerations. In the first place their skeletons 

 are always perfect. Then they never exceed one particular size, and 

 always belong to the same species as the parent. Moreover, it would 

 appear to be a physical impossibility for one Ichthyosaur of the size 



Fig. 2.— Skeleton of Ichthyosaurus quadriscissus, with fcetus enclosed in tlie body-cavity. 

 jL natural size. (After Gaudry.) 



of the Stuttgart specimen to have had seven smaller ones of such 

 dimensions in its stomach at one and the same time. We may 

 accordingly take it for granted that these imprisoned skeletons were 

 those of foetuses. It is, however, very remarkable that, so far as we 



