CONNECTING LINKS IN CLASSIFICATION. > 3 
the pelvis, ‘the shoulder-girdle, and the feathers, as far as ‘their 
structure can be made out, are completely those of existing, birds. 
Two digits of the Manus have curved claws, and, to‘ all’ appearance, 
the metacarpal bones are quite free and disunited, exhibiting, 
according to Professor Huxley, closer approximation to the reptilian 
structure than any existing bird. Mr. Evans has even detected that 
the mandibles were provided with teeth. 
Fig. 1.—Archzopteryx lithographicus. 
On the other hand, the same writer points out certain peculiarities 
in the single reptile found also among the Solenhofen slates which 
has been described and named Compsognathus longipes by the late 
Andreas Wagner. This reptile he declares ‘‘to be a still nearer 
approximation to the missing link between reptiles and birds,” thus 
further narrowing the gap between the two classes. — ig Seclp vat 
While we think it proper to point to these structural resemblances 
of one class of the animal creation to others very different: in. their 
external appearance, it is necessary. to. guard: our readers from 
adopting the inferences sometimes. deduced ; that. ‘these infinitely 
diversified forms are merely the final terms in an immense series of 
