Mr. H. G. Seeley on Ornitliopsis. 279 



In the postscript to my last paper I said : — " I had also the 

 pleasure of showing to Air. Smith my specimens of pupaj [of 

 RMpipliori\ with the cast skin still sticking to their tail, and 

 I think he will no longer " &c. 



In his reply Mr. Smith writes, " The last paragraph of the 

 postscript is entirely suppositional. Mr. Murray has not 

 shown me any of his specimens." 



Mr. Smith's memory is as much at fault as his courtesy. 

 According to my recollection, Avhen I went to see his speci- 

 mens, I took my own with me to him at the British Museum, 

 and then and there showed them to him. They were in small 

 flat glass phials, preserved in Canada balsam ; and I have a 

 vivid impression on my mind of Mr. Smith examining them 

 against the light with his pocket-lens, when I pointed out the 

 cast skins adhering to the tails ; and that he then 'made some 

 remark which led me to conclude that he accepted the in- 

 ference I di-ew from them ; but, as it was not made explicitly, 

 I stated this merely as my belief. 



I scarcely think that I could have dreamed all this ; and as 

 a visit to the British Museum with specimens in hand is for 

 me a sufficiently rare event to make some impression on my 

 mind, whilst with Mr. Smith it must be the exception to have 

 a day pass without numbers of visitors bringing specimens for 

 examination, I do not think that I am any way unreasonable 

 in claiming for my positive recollection (positive in its double 

 sense) a preference over his negative assertion — that is, always 

 supposing it to be put as a matter of memory, which, notwith- 

 standing his peculiar mode of expressing himself, I do not 

 doubt Mr. Smith to mean it to be. If, however, it is as a 

 matter of veracity that Mr. Smith really puts it, I can only 

 make him my bow once and for all, and leave him in the en- 

 joyment of his own opinion, consoling myself with the assured 

 conviction that it will be shared by no one but himself. 



XXXI. — On Ornithopsis, a Gigantic Animal of the Pterodac- 

 tyle kind from the Wealden, By Harry G. Seeley, F.G.S., 

 Assistant to Prof. Sedgwick in the Woodwardian Museum 

 of the University of Cambridge *. 



The two vertebrae to which I would here call attention are in 

 the British Museum ; other remains allied to them were shown 

 to me with much com-tesy by the Rev. Mr. Fox, of Brixton. 

 From these materials I am led to infer the existence of a new 



* Communicated bv the Author, having been read befoi-e the Cambridge 

 Philosophical Society, Nov. 22, 1869. 



