found in Corncockle Muir, Dumfries-shire. 85 



inches in length, there are twenty-four impressions, which 

 make twelve of the right feet, and as many of the left, be- 

 ing of course six repetitions of the mark of each foot. The 

 marks of the fore feet are a little more than two inches in di- 

 ameter, both from claw to heel and across, and those made 

 by the hind feet are of much the same size, but somewhat 

 differently shaped. The appearance of five claws is discern- 

 ible in each fore paw, the three in front being particularly dis- 

 tinct. The three front claws of the hind paws may also be 

 plainly traced, and are placed nearer to each other than 

 those of the fore feet. There has obviously been no divis- 

 ion in the sole of the foot, as is the case in the canine and 

 feline species ; but a gentle concavity of surface may be 

 observed, especially in the fore paws, occasioned partly" per- 

 haps by the act of sinking in the wet sand. The depth 

 of the strongest impressions is about half an inch ; and it is 

 observable that the fore feet have made somewhat deeoer 

 marks than those behind, — a fact which may either indicate 

 a considerable length in the animal's neck, or the more than 

 ordinary weight of its head and shoulders ; for, had it not 

 been for one or other of these circumstances, the chief pres- 

 sure would have been thrown on its hinder paws, as is the 

 case in some other specimens, because the surface up which 

 it was moving, was of considerable steepness. The distance 

 from the claw of the hind foot, to the heel of nearest impres- 

 sion of the fore foot on the same side, varies from an inch 

 to an inch and a half. This, however, merely marks the po- 

 sition of the two feet when the hinder one was brought for- 

 v^^ard in moving ; and if we would ascertain the animal's 

 step — or rather the distance between the hind and fore paw, 



when the former was thrown back and the latter advanced ■ 



we must measure from the hind foot forward, to the second 

 impression of the fore foot on the same side. Now, this 

 gives a distance of between thirteen and fourteen inches 

 which is considerably more, however, than would have been 

 the case if the animal had not been moving. If we c(»m- 

 pare this with the distance between the line of the right and 

 left feet (which is, as to the fore-paws, nearly 6^ inches, and 

 as to the hind paws something more than 7i inches,) we 

 shall see that an extraordinary thickness of the animal's bo- 

 dy, in proportion to its length, is clearly indicated. 



This description may be considered as applying, in its 

 general features, to a considerable number of the impres- 



