﻿12 
  H. 
  AVOODWABD 
  ON 
  FORMS 
  

  

  I. 
  The 
  first 
  of 
  these 
  is 
  a 
  small 
  and 
  very 
  singular 
  reptile 
  from 
  the 
  

   Oolite 
  of 
  Solenhofen, 
  which, 
  notwithstanding 
  its 
  minute 
  size, 
  Prof. 
  

   Huxley 
  thinks 
  must 
  be 
  placed 
  with 
  the 
  Dinosaurs 
  (the 
  Compsogna- 
  

   ihus 
  longipes 
  of 
  Andreas 
  Wagner), 
  not 
  much 
  more 
  than 
  2 
  feet 
  in 
  

   length, 
  having 
  a 
  small 
  head, 
  with 
  toothed 
  jaws, 
  supported 
  on 
  a 
  long 
  

   and 
  slender 
  neck. 
  The 
  iliac 
  bones 
  are 
  prolonged 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  and 
  

   behind 
  the 
  acetabulum 
  ; 
  the 
  pubes 
  were 
  long 
  and 
  slender. 
  The 
  bones 
  

   of 
  the 
  fore 
  limb 
  are 
  very 
  small, 
  and 
  probably 
  furnished 
  with 
  two 
  

   clawed 
  digits. 
  The 
  hind 
  limb 
  is 
  very 
  large, 
  and 
  disposed 
  as 
  in 
  birds, 
  

   the 
  femur 
  being 
  shorter 
  than 
  the 
  tibia. 
  The 
  proximal 
  division 
  of 
  the 
  

   tarsus 
  is 
  anchylosed 
  with 
  the 
  tibia 
  as 
  in 
  birds. 
  The 
  distal 
  ends 
  of 
  

   the 
  tarsal 
  bones 
  in 
  the 
  foot 
  are 
  not 
  united 
  with 
  the 
  tbree 
  long 
  and 
  

   slender 
  metatarsals, 
  corresponding 
  with 
  the 
  second, 
  third, 
  and 
  fourth 
  

   toes. 
  There 
  is 
  only 
  a 
  rudimentary 
  metatarsal 
  to 
  the 
  fifth 
  toe. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  impossible 
  to 
  look 
  at 
  the 
  structure 
  of 
  this 
  strange 
  reptile 
  

   and 
  to 
  doubt 
  that 
  it 
  hopped 
  or 
  walked 
  in 
  an 
  erect 
  or 
  semierect 
  

   position, 
  after 
  the 
  manner 
  of 
  a 
  bird, 
  to 
  which 
  its 
  long 
  neck, 
  slight 
  

   head, 
  and 
  small 
  anterior 
  limbs 
  must 
  have 
  given 
  it 
  an 
  extraordinary 
  

   resemblance 
  *. 
  

  

  II. 
  Much 
  of 
  the 
  recently 
  acquired 
  knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  huge 
  Dino- 
  

   sauria 
  of 
  our 
  own 
  Secondary 
  rocks 
  has 
  resulted 
  from 
  the 
  earnest 
  

   labours 
  of 
  Professor 
  Phillips, 
  bestowed 
  upon 
  the 
  remarkable 
  series 
  

   of 
  remains 
  in 
  the 
  Oxford 
  Museum. 
  

  

  We 
  now 
  know 
  certainly 
  that 
  the 
  Megalosaurus, 
  that 
  huge 
  carni- 
  

   vorous 
  lizard, 
  perhaps 
  30 
  feet 
  long, 
  which 
  ranged 
  from 
  the 
  Lias 
  to 
  

   the 
  Wealden, 
  had 
  strong 
  but 
  not 
  massive 
  hind 
  limbs, 
  and 
  short 
  

   reduced 
  fore 
  limbs, 
  five 
  anchylosed 
  sacral 
  vertebrae 
  (Owen), 
  the 
  

   •ilium, 
  ischium, 
  and 
  pubis 
  slender 
  and 
  bird-like, 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  Ostrich. 
  

   the 
  scapula 
  and 
  coracoid 
  resembling 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  Apteryx. 
  Prom 
  

   all 
  these 
  considerations 
  Professor 
  Phillips 
  agrees 
  with 
  Profs. 
  Owen 
  

   and 
  Huxley 
  in 
  viewing 
  the 
  Megalosaurus, 
  " 
  not 
  as 
  a 
  ground- 
  

   crawler, 
  like 
  the 
  alligator, 
  but 
  moving 
  with 
  free 
  steps, 
  chiefly, 
  if 
  

   not 
  solely, 
  on 
  the 
  hind 
  limbs, 
  and 
  claiming 
  a 
  curious 
  analogy, 
  if 
  

   not 
  some 
  degree 
  of 
  affinity, 
  with 
  the 
  Ostrich" 
  f 
  . 
  

  

  What 
  we 
  have 
  cited 
  as 
  regards 
  the 
  carnivorous 
  Megalosaurus 
  is 
  

   true 
  also 
  of 
  the 
  vegetable-eating 
  lizards 
  of 
  the 
  Mesozoic 
  rocks 
  

   {Iguanodon, 
  Scelidosarus, 
  &c). 
  

  

  The 
  sacrum 
  is 
  composed 
  of 
  from 
  four 
  to 
  six 
  vertebrae. 
  The 
  pelvic 
  

   bones 
  are 
  bird-like 
  in 
  form 
  and 
  disposition 
  ; 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  strong 
  crest 
  

   which 
  passes 
  between 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  the 
  fibula 
  and 
  the 
  tibia, 
  as 
  in 
  

   birds. 
  The 
  tibia 
  has 
  a 
  great 
  anterior 
  or 
  " 
  procnemial 
  " 
  orest, 
  not 
  

   seen 
  in 
  other 
  reptiles, 
  but 
  existing 
  in 
  most 
  birds, 
  especially 
  the 
  

   running 
  and 
  swimming 
  birds. 
  The 
  toes 
  are 
  reduced 
  in 
  number 
  ; 
  

   Scelidosaurus 
  has 
  four 
  toes 
  and 
  a 
  rudiment 
  of 
  a 
  fifth 
  ; 
  Iguanodon 
  

   has 
  three, 
  with 
  a 
  rudimentary 
  indication 
  of 
  a 
  fourth. 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  evidence 
  in 
  " 
  the 
  manner 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  three 
  principal 
  

   metatarsals 
  articulate 
  together, 
  that 
  they 
  were 
  very 
  intimately 
  and 
  

  

  * 
  Prof. 
  Huxley's 
  Lecture, 
  loo. 
  tit. 
  

  

  t 
  ' 
  Geology 
  of 
  Oxford 
  and 
  the 
  Valley 
  of 
  the 
  Thames,' 
  by 
  John 
  Phillips, 
  M.A., 
  

   F.E.S., 
  F.G.S., 
  &c, 
  1871, 
  p. 
  196. 
  

  

  