318 Sir R. Murchison. (CHAP. XVII. 
honored the museum with a visit, in September, 1859. 
Edward was sure that Sir Roderick would be able to tell 
him all that he wanted to know respecting the bone. It 
was the first thing that he put into Sir Roderick’s hands. 
“Can you tell me what that is, sir?’ He took it up, turn- 
ed it round and round, and over and over, and remarked, 
“That is a most extraordinary bone;” and then he asked 
when and where it had been found. Edward told him all 
the facts he knew respecting it, and added, “ But can you 
tell me to what animal it belonged?” “ No, I can not tell,” 
replied Sir Roderick. Neither did Professor Ramsay know 
any thing about the bone. ‘“ You see,” said Sir Roderick, 
“this does not lie in my way. This is not exactly a geo- 
logical specimen. .I am more a stone man than a bone man. 
Besides, it is often a difficult matter to distinguish small 
fragments or single bones of a skeleton, especially such a 
remarkable one as this, and to determine with certainty to 
what creature it belonged. But,” he added, “if you have 
any stones in your collection unnamed, or any particular 
rock in your neighborhood that you can show us, and 
which you and the stone men of the district are in any 
doubt about, my colleague and I will be most happy to sort 
them out for you. As regards the bone, I'll tell you what 
to do. Send the bone to London, to Professor Owen. 
He’s your man. He’s made up of bones. He’ll soon tell 
you all about it. And more, you can give him my compli- 
ments, say you saw me, and that I told you to send it.” 
Edward did not, however, send the bone to London. 
He knew, from experience, that such things, when sent so 
far away, rarely came back. That had been the case with 
many of his crustacea. He therefore kept the bone at 
home, and continued his inquiries of the savans who from 
time to time visited the museum; but he never succeeded 
in obtaining any favorable answer to his questionings. 
Years sped on, and still the bone remained unknown. 
At last, when. Edward was rummaging over some old books, 
