176 Dr. Mantell on the Bones of Birds, 



"whether there were any certain evidence of the existence of fossil birds in 

 strata more ancient than the tertiary*." Having subsequently discovered a 

 few specimens with more decided characters, I was led to resume my former 

 opinion, the accuracy of which was confirmed by M. Cuvier, during his last 

 visit to England, who pronounced, without the least hesitation, that the spe- 

 cimens were the bones of some wader, probably a species of Ardea, or heron. 

 Yet, notwithstanding this high authority, the imperfect state of the specimens 

 induced some eminent naturahsts to regard the question as still undeter- 

 mined; their scepticism however will, I trust, be now removed, by the recent 

 discovery of a bone, which, as will hereafter be shown, can be no other than 

 the tarso-metatarsal of a bird. 



A short time since, my friend Mr. Lyell and myself, being engaged in some 

 investigations relating to the fossil bones of turtles, the supposed birds' bones 

 of the Wealden again came under our notice ; and as the subject was of deep 

 interest, the presumed existence of birds during the period of the secondary 

 formations, resting solely on the evidence afforded by the specimens in my 

 collection, we determined to submit the most characteristic bones to the ex- 

 amination of Mr. Richard Owen, of the Royal College of Surgeons, a gentle- 

 man whose profound knowledge of comparative anatomy, is only equalled by 

 the liberality with which he imparts his valuable information to others. Mr. 

 Owen's attention was first requested to the metatarsal bone above mentioned, 

 and particularly directed to the oval cicatrix (o, fig. 1. 6, pi. XIII.) and the 

 longitudinal ridge (X, fig. 1. b) observable in that specimen, both of which 

 are very peculiar characters. The following observations are the result of 

 Mr. Owen's examination : 



"This fragment (fig. 1. 6) is undoubtedly the distal extremity of a left tarso-metatarsal bone 

 of a bird. The oval spot (o,) denotes the articular surface or place of attachment of the 

 posterior or opposable toe, and is a mark of more than ordinary importance, since much may 

 be deduced of the habits of the bird by observing its relative situation to the articular surfaces 

 of the other toes. Thus, in an insessorial, or climbing bird, it is placed nearly on a level with 

 the others, that the back toe may be effectually opposed to the fore toes ; and the same obtains in 

 the raptorial birds for seizing their prey. I infer that your specimen belonged to a wader, and 

 that the back toe was a long one, the better adapted for supporting the body on a marshy soil. 

 The thin longitudinal ridges of bone in the fossil, also agree with what may be observed in the 

 metatarsals of birds ; they afford attachment to the aponeurotic thecac, which tie down the tendons 

 as they glide along the metatarsus to the toes. As the soft articular extremity of the bone has 

 been destroyed, it is probable the bird was young, and the epiphysis not anchylosed. Another 

 of the specimens is very like the head of a humerus of a bird, but differs from any in the museum 



* Geol. Trans., 2nd series, vol. iii. p. 220. 



