PTERODACTYLES OF THE WEALDEN. 



439 



must have belonged to animals capable of flight, have been 

 obtained from various localities. Several are figured in 

 my Fossils of Tilgate Forest. The imperfect state of 

 the specimens renders it extremely difficult to determine 

 whether any of these bones belong to a higher order of 

 animals than reptiles — whether, in fact, some of them are 

 not referable to birds. The solution of this problem has 

 long been attempted by a rigorous examination of every 

 specimen ; and but a short time since 

 it was supposed that unquestionable 

 relics of birds were among the fossils 

 which I had obtained from the strata 

 of Tilgate Forest ; and a supposed 

 tarso-metatarsal bone of a Wader was 

 regarded as affording unequivocal evi- 

 dence on this point.* Recently, how- 

 ever, the question has been reduced 

 to its former state ; for the presumed 

 tarso-metatarsal bone, proves to be a 

 humerus or arm-bone ; and, as Pro- 

 fessor Owen now believes, of an un- 

 doubted Pterodactyle ; an opinion 

 which Mr. Bowerbank states is con- 

 firmed by the microscopical examina- 

 tion of its internal structure. Be this 

 as it may, we may safely infer that LlG L ^^ T R H T ^ ^ s T F AL T ^ 

 Pterodactyles were comprised in the cu^bTe o* ak ght MAL 



fauna Of the TVealden. Fromthe strata of TilgateForest. 



I subjoin a correct representation ( Anierior as P ect > ■•*■ **«•) 



„, . n . A . P.i'i ff, Oval cicatrix indicating the 



of the inferior portion of this bone insertion of a powerful 

 (Liqn. 1 10). In my opinion, the upper muscle. 



v J . . ,. J r , ., b, Ridge for the attachment of 



extremity indicates a more expanded fasci£e or muS cies 



* See my Memoir on the Bones of Birds discovered in the strata of 

 Tilgate Forest; Geol. Trans, vol. v. New Series, p. 175. 



