190 EXTINCT MONSTERS 
triumph to his house. This extraordinary discovery, however, 
soon became the subject of general conversation, and excited so 
much interest, that the canon of the cathedral which stands on 
the mountain resolved to claim the fossil, in right of being lord 
of the manor; and succeeded, after a long and harassing lawsuit, 
in obtaining this precious relic. It remained for years in his 
possession, and Hoffmann died without regaining his treasure, or 
receiving any compensation. At length the French Revolution 
broke out, and the armies of the Republic advanced to the gates 
of Maestricht. The town was bombarded ; but, at the suggestion 
of the committee of savans who accompanied the French troops 
to select their share of the plunder, the artillery was not suffered 
to play on that part of the city in which the celebrated fossil was 
known to be preserved. In the mean time, the Canon of St. 
Peter’s, shrewdly suspecting the reason why such peculiar favour 
was shown to his residence, removed the specimen, and con- 
cealed it in a vault; but when the city was taken, the French 
authorities compelled him to give up his ill-gotten prize, which 
was immediately transmitted to the Jardin des Plantes, at Paris, 
where it still forms one of the most striking objects in that 
magnificent collection.” 
Dr. Mantell quotes the Frenchman’s remarks on this transaction : 
“ La Justice, quoique tardive, arrive enfin avec le temps:” but adds, 
“The reader will probably think that, although the reverend 
canon was justly despoiled of his ill-gotten treasure, the French 
commissioners were but very equivocal representatives of 
Justice ” 
The beautiful cast (Fig. 67) at South Kensington (Fossil 
Reptile Gallery III., Wall-case 1) was presented to Dr. Mantell by 
Baron Cuvier in 1825. It consists of both jaws, with numerous 
teeth, and some other parts (see Fig. 68). The length is about 
