XXIV PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



and has worthily occupied the attention of the most eminent 

 anatomists. They give a feature to the herpetology of the middle 

 portion of the Secondary epoch. Now, of the five marked genera 

 constituting this group, as at present known, we owe the discovery and 

 demonstration of four, viz. Iguanodon, HylcEosaurus, Pelorosaurus, 

 and Reffnosaurits, to Dr. Mantell. "Worthily then was the Wol- 

 laston Medal and Fund adjudged to our lamented colleague in 

 1835, "for his long-continued labours in the comparative anatomy 

 of fossils ; especially for the discovery of two genera of fossil reptiles, 

 Iguanodon and Hylceosaui-us." That he did not rest from his 

 labours, after having received this honourable reward, the discovery 

 of two additional genera mencioned above can testify. Nor did he 

 cease from continually seeking to perfect his knowledge of the won- 

 derful animals brought to light during his earlier career. Thus, 

 whilst the announcement of the Iguanodon dates as far back as 1825, 

 his account of the jaw of this reptile was given to the world fifteen 

 years afterwards. His Paper on Pelorosaurus in the Philosophical 

 Transactions was pubhshed in 1850. From the Royal Societ}^ he 

 received the Royal Medal in 1849, as a just acknowledgement of his 

 palseontological researches. 



Dr. Mantell was equally interested in all other branches of palaeon- 

 tology. One of his earliest papers was that concerning the bodies 

 called by him and now well known as Ventriculites, found in the 

 Chalk, and referred by him to Alcyonia. On Fossil MoUusca and 

 Radiata he wrote many valuable papers, especially those that con- 

 cern the Belemnites and their allies. He was the first to call 

 attention to the preservation of traces of the animals of Foraminifera 

 in chalk-flints, and he devoted much time to the investigation of 

 these microscopic bodies. He was an expert microscopist, and 

 possessed fine instruments (one especially presented to him as a 

 testimonial of esteem when he resided at Clapham) and an extensive 

 collection of preparations. He was also much interested in fossil 

 botany, and published several papers on the remains of plants in the 

 Wealden and Cretaceous formations. 



Among his most recent labours was the account of the remarkable 

 reptile from the Old Red Sandstone, named by him Telerpeton 

 Elginense, an animal of singular interest, since it must be regarded as 

 the most ancient unquestionable relic of its class hitherto discovered. 

 At the time he died he was occupied with a description of a very 

 singular fish from the chalk, to which he intended to give the name 

 of Rhynchonichthys. 



His labours were not confined to the fossils of his own country. 

 He did much towards making known remarkable fossils from North 

 America and from New Zealand, — countries in which his sons are 

 worthily walking in the footsteps of their distinguished father. 



Dr. Mantell' s influence in science did not, however, wholly, or 

 perhaps chiefly, depend upon his original researches. As a popular 

 expounder of geological facts, he was unequalled. As a lecturer, he 

 had no rival ; — fluent, clear, eloquent, and elegantly discursive, he 

 riveted the attention of his audience, and invariably left them 



