﻿10 
  H. 
  WOODWARD 
  ON 
  FORMS 
  

  

  by 
  which, 
  to 
  unite 
  more 
  closely 
  the 
  Satjropsida 
  to 
  one 
  another 
  as 
  a 
  

   class. 
  Foremost 
  of 
  these 
  in 
  importance 
  must 
  be 
  mentioned 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  I. 
  The 
  discovery 
  of 
  that 
  remarkable 
  Mesozoic 
  type 
  of 
  bird, 
  the 
  

   Archceopteryx 
  macrura 
  (Owen), 
  with 
  its 
  peculiar 
  reptilian-like 
  tail, 
  

   composed 
  of 
  twenty 
  free 
  and 
  apparently 
  unanchylosed 
  cylindrical 
  

   vertebrae, 
  each 
  supporting 
  a 
  pair 
  of 
  quill-feathers, 
  the 
  last 
  fifteen 
  

   vertebrae 
  having 
  no 
  transverse 
  processes, 
  and 
  tapering 
  gradually 
  to 
  

   the 
  extremity. 
  

  

  Two 
  of 
  the 
  digits 
  of 
  the 
  wing 
  (or 
  manus) 
  have 
  curved 
  claws, 
  

   much 
  stronger 
  than 
  those 
  of 
  any 
  existing 
  bird 
  ; 
  and 
  the 
  metacarpal 
  

   bones 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  quite 
  free 
  and 
  disunited. 
  

  

  In 
  these 
  particulars 
  the 
  Archceopteryx 
  certainly 
  does 
  exhibit 
  a 
  

   closer 
  approximation 
  to 
  reptilian 
  structure 
  than 
  any 
  modern 
  bird 
  *. 
  

  

  II. 
  The 
  next 
  remarkable 
  fossil 
  bird 
  to 
  be 
  enumerated 
  is 
  the 
  Icli- 
  

   thyornis 
  dispar 
  (Marsh), 
  discovered 
  by 
  Prof. 
  0. 
  C. 
  Marsh, 
  in 
  1872, 
  

   in 
  the 
  Upper 
  Cretaceous 
  beds 
  of 
  Kansas, 
  U.S. 
  It 
  possessed 
  in 
  both 
  

   jaws 
  well- 
  developed 
  teeth, 
  which 
  were 
  quite 
  numerous, 
  and 
  im- 
  

   planted 
  in 
  distinct 
  sockets. 
  The 
  teeth 
  were 
  small, 
  compressed, 
  and 
  

   pointed, 
  and 
  all 
  similar 
  in 
  character. 
  Those 
  in 
  the 
  lower 
  jaw 
  

   number 
  about 
  twenty 
  in 
  each 
  ramus, 
  and 
  are 
  all 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  in- 
  

   clined 
  backward. 
  The 
  series 
  extends 
  over 
  the 
  entire 
  upper 
  margin 
  

   of 
  the 
  dentary 
  bone, 
  the 
  front 
  tooth 
  being 
  very 
  near 
  the 
  extremity. 
  

   The 
  maxillary 
  teeth 
  appear 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  equally 
  numerous 
  and 
  

   essentially 
  the 
  same 
  as 
  those 
  in 
  the 
  mandible. 
  The 
  jaws 
  were, 
  

   apparently, 
  not 
  encased 
  in 
  a 
  horny 
  sheath. 
  The 
  bones 
  of 
  the 
  wings 
  

   and 
  legs 
  all 
  conform 
  to 
  the 
  true 
  ornithic 
  type. 
  The 
  vertebrae 
  were 
  

   all 
  biconcave, 
  the 
  concavities 
  at 
  each 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  centra 
  being 
  

   distinct 
  and 
  nearly 
  alike. 
  The 
  tail 
  does 
  not 
  appear 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  

   preserved. 
  The 
  bird 
  was 
  about 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  a 
  pigeon. 
  The 
  bones 
  

   do 
  not 
  appear 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  pneumatic, 
  although 
  most 
  of 
  them 
  are 
  

   hollow. 
  The 
  species, 
  Prof. 
  Marsh 
  considers, 
  was 
  carnivorous 
  and 
  

   probably 
  aquatic. 
  

  

  A 
  second 
  form 
  discovered 
  has 
  been 
  named 
  Apatornis 
  celer 
  (Marsh). 
  

  

  Prof. 
  Marsh 
  thinks 
  it 
  probable 
  that 
  Archceopteryx 
  possessed 
  teeth 
  

   and 
  biconcave 
  vertebrae. 
  In 
  confirmation 
  of 
  the 
  former 
  suggestion, 
  

   it 
  may 
  be 
  mentioned 
  that 
  part 
  of 
  a 
  small 
  detached 
  jaw 
  with 
  teeth 
  

   was 
  detected 
  by 
  Mr. 
  John 
  Evans, 
  E.R..S., 
  Sec. 
  Geol. 
  Soc, 
  upon 
  the 
  

   slab 
  containing 
  the 
  skeleton, 
  and 
  possibly 
  may 
  have 
  belonged 
  to 
  it, 
  

   although 
  referred 
  by 
  Prof. 
  Owen 
  to 
  the 
  " 
  praemaxillary 
  bone 
  of 
  a 
  

   fish"f. 
  

  

  In 
  an 
  article 
  published 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Evans 
  in 
  the 
  « 
  Natural 
  History 
  

   Review' 
  for 
  1865, 
  vol. 
  v. 
  p. 
  415, 
  he 
  carefully 
  and 
  critically 
  dis- 
  

   cusses 
  this 
  question 
  ; 
  and 
  he 
  furthermore 
  cites 
  the 
  opinion 
  of 
  the 
  

   late 
  illustrious 
  Hermann 
  von 
  Meyer, 
  that 
  the 
  teeth 
  observable 
  in 
  

   the 
  jaw 
  were 
  unlike 
  any 
  heretofore 
  known 
  from 
  the 
  lithographic 
  

   stone, 
  although 
  they 
  somewhat 
  resembled 
  those 
  of 
  Acrosaurus. 
  On 
  

  

  * 
  See 
  Prof. 
  Owen 
  on 
  Archceopteryx, 
  Phil. 
  Trans. 
  1863. 
  

  

  t 
  Phil. 
  Trans. 
  1863, 
  p. 
  33. 
  See 
  also 
  article 
  by 
  H. 
  Woodward 
  in 
  ' 
  Intellectual 
  

   Observer,' 
  Dec. 
  1862, 
  vol. 
  ii. 
  p. 
  313, 
  and 
  plate 
  ; 
  and 
  by 
  S. 
  J. 
  Mackie, 
  ' 
  Geologist,' 
  

   1863, 
  vol. 
  vi. 
  p. 
  1. 
  

  

  