3.26 llcv. S. Ilaughton on the Muscular Anatomy 



XXXVI. — On, the Muscular Anatomy of the Leg of the Crocodile. 

 By the Rev. Samuel Haugiiton, M.D., Fellow of Trinity 

 College, Dublin. 



[Plate XVI.] 



During the Easter recess of 1864, I had an opportunity of 

 explaining- to Professor Gratiolet*, of Paris, the investigations 

 I had made with respect to the mechanism of the leg of the 

 Ostrich, and the theory I had formed to explain it. This dis- 

 tinguished anatomist did me the honour of approving of my 

 explanation, and urged me to procure a Crocodile, in the poste- 

 rior limb of which he assured me I should find a mechanical 

 problem exceeding in complexity that presented by the leg of 

 the Ostrich, and as yet unsolved by anatomists. 



During the month of March last I was furnished with a 

 young Crocodile from Egypt, by Mr. Thomas Moore, of Liver- 

 pool, to whom I had communicated my earnest desire to have 

 an opportunity of dissecting such an animal ; and the results of 

 my examination fully bear out the anticipation of Prof. Gratiolet, 

 and also furnish a complete confirmation of the principles I 

 made use of in my theory of the leg of the Ostrich. 



The interlacing of tendons in the hind leg of the Crocodile 

 is very remarkable, and more complex than in the Ostrich, 

 although in one respect it somewhat resembles it. 



* The incalculable loss that science has sustained, in the early part of 

 the present year, by the premature death of this distinguished anatomist 

 is exceeded by the loss experienced by his friends, to whom his genial 

 social qualities endeared him even more than his brilliant scientific attain- 

 ments. 1 extract from the ' Journal des Debats ' of the 19th of February 

 1865 the following just tribute to his memory : — 



" Les sciences vienneut de faire une perte aussi cruelle qu'imprevue : 

 M. Gratiolet, professeur de zoologie a la Faculte des Sciences de Paris, a 

 succombe hier matin a une attaque d'apoplexie. 



" M. Gratiolet n'avait pas cinquante ans ; avant hier, encore plein de vie 

 ct de sante, il travaillait a son laboratoire du Museum d'Histoire Natu- 

 relle, lorsque, a deux heures, frappe d'une congestion subite, il dut etre 

 ramene a son domicile ; quelques heures plus tard, il avait perdu connais- 

 sance ; hier matin a qnatre heures, il rendait le dernier soupir. 



" Nous ne saurions peindre l'emotion profonde qu'a causee dans le 

 monde scientifique l'annonce de cette mort prematuree. M. Gratiolet 

 etait aime de tous ; son affabilite, la droiture de son caractere, lui avaieut 

 concilie toutes les sympathies. Ses travaux d'anatomie comparee, ses re- 

 cherches sur le systeme nerveux et sur le ceiveau, etc., l'avaieut mis au 

 nombre des naturidistes les plus distingm's de notrc pays; sou merveilleux 

 talent d'elocution l'avait place au premier rang parmi nos professeurs les 

 plus rcnoinmcs, et l'aptitude de son esprit pour les etudes metaphysiques 

 avait imprimc a ses ceuvres un caractere d'originalite' qu'appreciaient les 

 philoso])hes aussi bien que les savans. 



" La mort est venue le frapper au moment oil, apres de longues annees 

 de lutte, il semblait sur le point de recueillir le fruit de ses laborieux 

 efforts." 



