448 Annals of the Carnegie Museum. 



"About three years. ago His Majesty look luncheon with Mr. Car- 

 negie at Skibo Castle, and, being attracted by a drawing of the Diplo- 

 docus, which hung upon one of the walls, expressed to Mr. Carnegie 

 a wish that this huge creature might be represented in the British 

 Museum. In response to this suggestion by His Majesty, Mr. Carnegie 

 generously caused a reproduction of the actual skeleton in the Carnegie 

 Museum to be prepared. This we now see before us, and Mr. Car- 

 negie is presenting it to us to-day. It is one more of the splendid gifts 

 which have made his name famous for wise generosity. (Applause. ) 



" The name Diplodocus would not till a few days ago have con- 

 veyed much to most of our countrymen, but the sight of this skeleton 

 will not fail to impress it on them. It is eighty-four feet in length — 

 the most colossal quadruped which has yet been discovered ; and it is 

 not likely that any much larger ever existed. 



"The size of the animal does not indeed necessarily add much to 

 the interest. Some of the smallest creatures are most important and 

 instructive ; some most useful, and even indispensable ; and others 

 most destructive and even deadly. Still, size appeals to the imagina- 

 tion, and I doubt not that this specimen wnll excite the wonder and 

 admiration of all who see it. The creature is remarkable in many 

 ways, but what is perhaps most striking, next to the size of the body, 

 is the relative smallness of the head. The creature had more nervous 

 matter in its hips than in its head, which would seem to indicate that 

 its movements must have been to a considerable extent ' reflex.' 



"In this colossal reproduction, of course of the natural size, every 

 piece represents an actual bone, nothing has been left to mere scien- 

 tific judgment, except, I believe — in one or two cases — the collo- 

 cation of some of the parts. It is not often that remains so perfect are 

 discovered. 



" The Diplodocus flourished in the Jurassic period. A faint idea 

 of its antiquity is given us by the statement that the skeleton once had 

 15,000 feet of sedimentary deposits over it, which have since been 

 denuded and washed away. In fact it is certainly several millions of 

 years old. 



"Again, Mr. Carnegie, I have the pleasure of thanking you on 

 behalf of the Trustees for this remarkable and interesting addition to 

 our National collection. (Applause. ) 



" We have the pleasure of seeing here Dr. Holland, by whose 

 efforts the original specimens were obtained and by whose skill the 



