FOSSILS OP THE WEALDEN. 71 



which these geological changes refer ; and how 

 marvellous are those physical laws by which the 

 All-wise Author of Nature carries out the purposes 

 of his creative and providential designs ! 



One of the most remarkable reptiles of the 

 Wealden is the iguanodon, a lizard of enormous 

 dimensions. The fossil remains of this creature 

 indicate the extraordinary size it attained. The 

 leg and thigh bones prove that the entire length 

 of the limb of a full-grown specimen must have 

 exceeded nine feet, and when covered with muscles 

 and integuments of suitable proportions the limb 

 could not have been less than seven feet in cir- 

 cumference ! The body of this gigantic lizard 

 was as large as that of the largest elephant, and its 

 length, if the tail was slender, was probably sixty 

 feet, or if the tail, like that of some lizards, were 

 short, the whole length of the animal must have 

 been at least thirty feet. Besides the iguanodon 

 there were other reptiles of no less magnitude ; 

 and fossil remains have been discovered which 

 belonged to reptiles having the power of flying 

 through the air. 



The character of the country which these 

 creatures inhabited is remarkably indicated by 

 the fossil remains thus discovered. It does not 

 appear whether it was an island or a continent, 

 but it appears to have been diversified by hills 

 and valleys, rivers and lakes, and possessed a 

 climate much higher in temperature than any 

 part of modern Europe. Palm trees, arborescent 

 ferns, and various kinds of cone-bearing trees 



F 4 



