

APPENDIX. 265 



Plate II. By the courtesy of the proprietors of Natural Science, we 

 are enabled to reproduce two drawings (Fig. 59) from the September 

 number, illustrating a paper by Mr. Lydekker, in which he gives 

 a rdsumt of the latest intelligence with regard to Ichthyosaurian 

 reptiles. 



In the present year (1892) there has been discovered in the Lias of 

 Wiirtemberg the skeleton of an Ichthyosaur, in which the outline of 

 the fleshy parts is completely preserved (see lower figure). The 

 reader will see from the figure that the tail-fin is very large, and the 

 backbone appears to run into the lower lobe. Such a tail-fin as this 

 impression indicates must have resembled that of the shark's, only 

 it is wider; but the shark's backbone runs into the upper lobe. "|" 

 Sir Richard Owen long ago foretold the existence of this appendage, 

 and the discovery, coming now (when his life is despaired of), adds 

 one more tribute to his genius. Behind the triangular fin on the 

 back comes a row of horny excrescences reminding us of those of 

 the crested newt. 



As Dr. Fraas remarks, this discovery shows how closely analogous 

 Ichthyosaurs were in form to fishes, and further justifies the title of 

 " fish-lizards." He considers that they did not visit the shore. The 

 reader will find much valuable matter in Mr. Lydekker's paper, above 

 referred to. The following extract refers to the question of their 

 reproduction : " It has long been known that certain large skeletons 

 of Ichthyosaurs from the Upper Lias of Holzmaden, in Wiirtemberg, 

 and elsewhere, are found with the skeletons of one or more much 

 smaller individuals enclosed partly or entirely within the cavity of the 

 ribs [a specimen is figured]. Of such skeletons there are four in the 

 museum at Stuttgart, two in that of Tubingen, one at Munich, and 

 others in Gent and Paris. Of these, two in Stuttgart, as well as the 

 two in Tubingen, contain but a single young skeleton, while one of 

 those at Stuttgart has four, the Munich specimen five, and the remain- 

 ing Stuttgart example upwards of seven young. Some of these young 

 and, presumably, fcetal Ichthyosaurs have the head turned towards the 

 tail of the parent, while in others it is directed the other way. That 

 these young have not been swallowed by the larger individuals within 

 whose ribs they are found is pretty evident from several considerations. 

 In the first place, their skeletons are always perfect. Then they 

 never exceed one particular size, and always belong to the same 

 species as the parent. Moreover, it would appear to be a physical 

 impossibility for one Ichthyosaur of the size of the Stuttgart specimen 

 to have had seven smaller ones of such dimensions in its stomach at 



