104 Mr. R. I. MuRCHisoN on the North-western Extremity of Sussex, 



western angle of this formation, where the inhabitants have occasionally found 

 similar remains for many years. Their occurrence to the eastward, however, 

 appears to be very partial. In the extensive quarries of Stammerham I could 

 only discover that one vertebra had been seen (apparently that of a tortoise); 

 whilst in the intervening tract of 9 or 10 miles between that place and Lox- 

 wood, no analogous remains have been met with, although numerous quarries 

 of the same tabular grit-stone are worked at Slinfold, Billingshurst, &c. &c. 



The greater number of the bones now presented, were found at Headfold- 

 wood Common, in 1824 ; they were situated about 5 feet below the surface : 

 above them the mass was yellowish-brown clay, with micaceous sandstone oc- 

 curring occasionally ; and below the clay were large tabular masses of the cal- 

 careous grit. Immediately beneath this stone the bones were impacted in 

 ferruginous and marly clay ; under this were veins of blue clay, containing 

 selenite. 



The largest specimen proves to be a femur*. It measured, when entire, 3 

 feet 7 inches in length. (See PI. XV. fig. 9.) One vertebra (No. 8) and many 

 large fragments of bones were also found here. 



Recently J. King, Esq. of Loxwood, has met with many more osseous 

 remains imbedded in the clay north of his house, and about 3 feet from the 

 surface. By his kindness I am now enabled to present a series of vertebrae 

 and other specimens to the Society. (See PI. XV. fig. 1 to 7.) 



Mr. Clift, of the College of Surgeons, obligingly examined these remains. 

 He finds that they possess the striated texture of surface which characterizes 

 the bones of fishes, crocodiles, and aquatic saurians ; and that the thin wall 

 or exterior crust, which covers an interior cancellated structure, further esta- 

 blishes his conclusion, that they have belonged to some great aquatic animal. 



Having submitted the drawings and some of the specimens to Baron Cuvier 

 for inspection, 1 have been favoured by him with the following remarks. "I 

 am inclined to believe," he observes, " that they are the remains of a new spe- 

 cies of large saurian ; since I am not acquainted with any thing similar to 

 them amongst either recent or fossil reptiles : nevertheless, as Mr. Mantell 

 has not yet found (that I am aware) the different parts of the skeleton of the 

 Iguanodon, and since the formation in which these new bones occur, appears, 

 from your account of it, to be a continuation of that of Tilgate Forest, I think 

 it not impossible that some of these bones may have belonged to that animal. 

 I can safely affirm that the vertebrae now submitted to me are not those of Ple- 

 siosaurus; but whether any of these remains did or did not belong to the 



* This femur is in the possession of I. Napper, Esq., of Ifold, who politely sent it to the Geo- 

 logical Society for inspection. 



