ROOM IV. DISCOVERY OF THE ICHTHYOSAURUS. 367 



of marine reptiles is now distinguished. Many instructive 

 specimens were soon discovered, and important additions 

 rapidly made to the knowledge of these extinct denizens of 

 the ancient ocean, by Dr. Buckland, Sir H. De la Beche, Mr. 

 Conybeare, &c. But the name of an humble individual, to 

 whose talent and perseverance in discovering and developing 

 these relics of former ages, the eminent naturalists above 

 mentioned were mainly indebted for the objects of their inves- 

 tigation, must not be omitted even in this brief sketch of the 

 history of the Ichthyosaurian remains in the British Museum ; 

 that person was the late Mary Arming, of Lyme Regis, who, 

 to employ Mr. Hawkins's graphic language, "devoted 

 herself to science, and explored the frowning and precipitous 

 cliffs, when the furious spring-tide conspired with the howling 

 tempest to overthrow them, and rescued from the devouring 

 ocean, sometimes at the peril of her life, the few specimens 

 which originated all the facts and ingenious theories of those 

 eminent persons, whose names must ever be remembered with 

 I sentiments of the liveliest gratitude." l 



Several memoirs were published by Sir E. Home and 

 i others on detached parts of the skeleton, and in 1821, Messrs. 

 Conybeare and De la Beche communicated to the Geological 

 Society a " Memoir on the genus Ichthyosaurus," in which the 

 osteology of the original was so fully elucidated, as to leave 

 [but few points undetermined, for the investigation of subse- 

 luent observers. 



Ten years afterwards, Mr. Hawkins astonished British 

 ituralists by the splendid and perfect skeletons of several 

 tew species of both tribes of Enaliosauri, which his anatomi- 

 skill, and untiring perseverance and patience, enabled him 

 dissect from the rock, in a state of integrity previously 

 lought unattainable. The principal gems of that gentle- 

 L'S collection are now before us, having been purchased by 

 Trustees of the British Museum. 2 



To the admirable Memoir on the Enaliosauransi, by Baron 

 hivier, in 1823, the beautiful illustrations in the Bridge water 



" Memoirs of Ichthyosauri," &c. by Thomas Hawkins, Esq. 1 vol. 

 folio, 1834, p. 9. 



2 Two collections were purchased of Mr. Hawkins ; the first was valued 

 >y Dr. Buckland and myself. See APPENDIX K. 



