38 KANSAS UNIVERSITY QUARTERLY. 
the shore lines, as shown by the entire absence of other shore ani- 
mals, turtles, etc., indicate great powers of flight. Furthermore, 
it is rare that a single bone of a pterodactyl is found unassociated 
with others, and almost invariably the bones of the wings are found 
more or less in connection indicating either tough and strong ten- 
dons, or a rapid sinking of the skeleton, which might happen from 
the rapid filling of the hollow bones with water through their pneu- 
matic openings. 
Notwithstanding the enormous expanse of the wings, these ani- 
mals when alive must have weighed but little. I doubt very much 
if one of the largest species reached twenty pounds. When at 
rest, the phalanges of the wings were doubtless folded almost par- 
allel with the metacarpal, as they are sometimes found preserved in 
this position. There was very little movement in the wrist, con- 
siderable in the elbow, and very much in the shoulder. In the 
humerus there is a remarkable projection for muscular attachment 
corresponding to the deltoid tubercle, but I doubt very much that 
it was for the exclusive insertion of muscles corresponding to the 
deltoid, inasmuch as its large and strong face for muscular attach- 
ments points away from the shoulder and towards the arm. On 
the inner mesial side there is also a strong projection proximally, 
which I doubt not was for the pectoral muscles, muscles which 
must necessarily have been most important in keeping the wings 
outspread. The imperfect or rudimentary claws and the weak toes 
mean that the animal could not have used the feet effectively for 
grasping, while the exceedingly free movement of the femur in the 
actetabulum must indicate great freedom of movement of the hind 
legs and corresponding lack of strength. Altogether, I believe that 
the function of the legs was chiefly for guidance in flight, through 
their control over the membranes. I suspect that the membrane 
from the wings extended a considerable distance upon the sides 
of the legs, and, perhaps, connected them in part. From the com- 
parative heaviness of the head and vertebra, and the structure of 
the latter, it is also probable that in flight the neck was curved 
backward in its lower part. If the animal hung in the upright posi: 
tion when at rest, it is difficult to see where the head was stowed 
away. 
The length of this species from tip of outstreched bill to tip of 
toes was about eight feet, the expanse of the wings in the posture 
shown in the engraving was eighteen feet and six inches. It is 
often erroneously stated in text-books that the distance between 
the tips of the wings in this species was twenty-five feet. 
