of the Iguanodon in the Isle of Wight and Isle of Portland. 431 



va quelquefois a I'eau, se nourrit de fruits, de g-rains et de feuilles." The 

 Iguana at the Zoological Garden, after swimming across the pond, generally 

 clambered over the opposite wire fence, and ascended an Acacia tree beyond, 

 on the highest fork of which it would rest. This was its favourite tree, and 

 though others were near, it never mounted any but the Acacia. Cockroaches, 

 &c. were offered to it, and, at Mr. Broderip's suggestion, kidney-bean leaves, 

 but in vain ; and it was kept alive, as it was on the voyage, by cramming it 

 with sliced raw potatoes. Its keeper informed Mr. Broderip that he saw it 

 often snap, as it walked on the grass, as if it were taking insects, but he is by 

 no means certain that it actually took any. 



Another, kept afterwards for a short time at the Zoological Garden, refused 

 all food; and this was the case with a third from Demerara, which soon lan- 

 guished and died, in the possession of a friend of Mr. Broderip. 



I am also informed by Captain Belcher, R. N., that when he was in the 

 island of Isabella, near the gulf of California, in the month of January 1828, 

 he found this island covered with swarms of Iguanas, whose habits appeared 

 to be omnivorous ; they fed voraciously on the eggs of birds, particularly of 

 boobies, and frigate pelicans, which build their nests in this island in countless 

 multitudes. When taken on board they fed promiscuously on various kinds 

 of food, and ate greedily the intestines of fowls ; they were also insectivorous, 

 and ate cockroaches and flies. The Iguanas occupied the cliffs, and their 

 haunts were filled with egg-shells and bones of birds ; they also attack and 

 eat one another. 



It is mentioned by Cuvier also (Regne Animal, vol. ii. p. 41, ed. 1829,) 

 that he found both leaves and insects in the stomach of an Istiurus (Le Porte- 

 Crete, Lacep.) ; this animal lives partly in the water, and partly on small trees 

 and shrubs near the water, and eats both seeds and worms. May we not 

 from these analogies infer that the Iguanodon also was omnivorous .'* 



Further discovery of Bones of Iguanodon, and Cones of Zamia, in the 

 Isle of Wight, at Sandoion Baj/. 



In July 1834, a valuable addition was made to the Oxford Museum 

 (through the kindness of the Rev. W. Sewell, of Exeter College, and the 

 Rev. R. Sherson, Rector of Yaverland), of a very large collection of bones 

 from the southern coast of the Isle of Wight, chiefly those of the Iguanodon, 

 discovered in Yaverland, a little east of Sandown Port, by Mr. John Smith, 

 who has liberally presented them to the University of Oxford. 



These bones were found in 1829 by Mr. Smith, near his residence at 

 Yaverland Farm. The following is an extract from his letter to myself, 



3 K 2 



