370 SIX RODERICK MURCHISON. CHAP, xvn 



At last Sir Eoderick Murchison and Professor Eam- 

 say honoured the museum with a visit, in September 

 1859. Edward was sure that Sir Eoderick would be 

 able to tell him all that he wanted to know respecting 

 the bone. It was the first thing that he put into Sir 

 Eoderick's hands. " Can you tell me what that is, 

 sir ? " He took it up, turned it round and round, and 

 over and over, and remarked, " That is a most extra- 

 ordinary bone ; " and then he asked when and where 

 it had been found. Edward told him all the facts 

 he knew respecting it, and added : " But can 

 you tell me to what animal it belonged?" "No, 

 I cannot tell," replied Sir Eoderick. Neither did 

 Professor Eamsay know anything about the bone. 

 "You see," said Sir Eoderick, "this does not lie in 

 my way. This is not exactly a geological specimen. 

 I am more a stone man than a 'bone man. Besides, it 

 is often a difficult matter to distinguish small frag- 

 ments or single bones of a skeleton, especially such a 

 remarkable one as this, and to determine with cer- 

 tainty to what creature it belonged. But," he added, 

 " if you have any stones in your collection unnamed, 

 or any particular rock in your neighbourhood that 

 you can show us, and which you and the stone men 

 of the district are in any doubt about, my colleague 

 and I will be most happy to sort them out for you. 

 As regards the bone, I'll tell you what to do. Send 

 the bone to London, to Professor Owen. He's your 

 man. He's made up of bones. He'll soon tell you 



