17 



Earl of Enniskillen, and Mr. Charles. Of these, brevirostris, crassi- 

 rostris and ffi(/anteus are short-nosed species, lonffirostris and Cuvieri 

 long-nosed. With regard to relative length and proportions of the 

 other parts of the skeleton we have ample means to arrive at tolerably 

 correct conclusions, in consequence of the nearly perfect condition of 

 brevirostris, crassirostris and longirostris. In the former two we 

 find the cervical vertebrae short and thick, the length being about 

 equal to the height in the latter of the two, while in longirostris they 

 vary in length from three to five times their own diameter at the 

 middle. Very uncertain results therefore would arise from finding 

 single bones of this portion of the skeleton, excepting that a long and 

 attenuated cervical vertebra would seem to indicate a corresponding 

 length of snout ; but from the other bones of the animal, more espe- 

 cially those of the wing, much more satisfactory results may arise. 

 Upon a careful measurement of the casts in the British Museum from 

 the original specimens, I find the following to be the length of the 

 bones of the wing of P. longii-ostris : — 



inch. 



Humerus 1'25 = 8*55 of length of wing. 



Radius and ulna TQO = 557 „ 



Carpus 013 = 0-82 



Metacarpus 1-34 = 7"97 „ 



1st Phalange 1-90 = 5-57 „ 



2nd „ 175 = 6-10 



3rd „ 1-25 = 8"55 „ 



4th „ 1-17 = 9-13 



10-69 



inches. 



The length of the head 4-25 



From the tip of the nose to the commencement 



of the ca\itas narium 2' 1 



Height of the skull at the commencement of 



the cavitas narium 0"38 



Length of the femur 1 "34 



Length of the tibia 1 '90 



Smallest diameter of the radius near the distal 



extremity 014 



By these measurements it is apparent that the tibia, radius and 

 ulna and 1st phalange are equal in length. The humerus and 3rd 

 phalange are also equal to each other, and so likewise are the meta- 

 carpus and femur equal to each other. If we also compare the small- 

 est diameter of the radius, 0'14 inch, with its length, 1'90 inch, we 

 find that the bone is 1 3^ chameters long, and in P. Macronyx {Buck- 

 lancli) it is 13^. We may therefore be enabled, by keeping these 

 comparative measurements in view, to predict with a tolerable degree 

 of certainty the spread of wing of any Pterodactyl of which we may 

 find one or more of the principal bones of the wing, and especially if 



No. CCXX. — Proceedings of the Zoological Society. 



