XIV PREFACE. 



slightly bent teeth. The neck is the length of 

 the body, and, like that of most mammiferous 

 animals, composed of seven vertebrae. There 

 are four legs, on each leg four toes, and all of 

 them provided with claws. In the fore legs 

 one of the toes is very much elongated, the 

 other three are short ; the hinder legs are also 

 of considerable length, and provided with toes, 

 which are longer than those upon the fore feet. 

 There are no tarsal bones, only metatarsal 

 bones and claws; the tarsal bones appear to 

 have been of a softer nature, and may have 

 been destroyed. There is a distinct tail. 



The head, in its general form, very much 

 resembles that of birds of the genus scolopax 

 of Linnaeus. From the magnitude of the orbits, 

 it would seem that this animal must have had 

 very large eyes. The small, sharp, and slightly 

 bent teeth, and wide mouth, would intimate 

 that the animal did not live on plants, but ra- 

 ther on large insects, which it would be enabled 

 to catch while on the wing. The great thick- 

 ness and length of the toe of the fore foot, show 



