74 EXTINCT MONSTERS. 



creature was more aquatic than terrestrial in its habits. Plaster 

 casts of the limb-bones may be seen at the British Museum of 

 Natural History, side by side with the huge Atlantosaurus cast 

 sent by Professor Marsh. 



The Kimmeridge clay of Weymouth has yielded a huge arm- 

 bone (or humerus), nearly five feet long ; and from Wealden strata 

 of Sussex and the Isle of Wight vertebrae have been collected. 

 Altogether we have remains of Cetiosaurus from at least half a 

 dozen counties. Unfortunately, no specimen of a skull has yet 

 been found, and only two or three small and incomplete teeth, 

 which may possibly have belonged to some other animal. Pro- 

 fessor Owen estimated the length of the trunk and tail of the 

 creature to have been thirty-five or thirty-six feet; but in the 

 absence of further evidence it was not possible to form any con- 

 clusion as to its total length. It is evident that Cetiosaurus was 

 closely allied to the American Brontosaurus (p. 69) ; and so these 

 earlier English discoveries have gained much in interest from the 

 light thrown upon them by Professor Marsh's huge Saurian. 



Another English Saurian of this group was the Ornithopsis, 

 from Wealden strata in the Isle of Wight, which has been the sub- 

 ject of careful study by Mr. Hulke and Professor Seeley. Their 

 conclusions, based on the examination of separate portions of the 

 skeleton (such as vertebrae), have been singularly confirmed by 

 the discovery of Brontosaurus. 



In Ornithopsis the vertebrae of the neck and back, though of 

 great size, were remarkably light, and yet of great strength. One 

 of the vertebrae of the back had a body, or centrum, ten inches 

 long. Hoplosaurus and Pelosaurus were evidently reptiles closely 

 allied to the above types ; but at present are so imperfectly known 

 that we need not consider them here. 



