STATION OF THE PTEBODACTYLI. 129 



of the five already enumerated does it seem to Lear 

 the greatest affinity ? The apparent anomalous struc- 

 ture of these extraordinary animals renders this a 

 most perplexing inquiry. If we look to the shape and 

 character of their enormous head, we fancy a resem- 

 blance both to the crocodiles and to the Ichthyosauri ; 

 but the former are perfectly four-footed animals, walk- 

 ing on the earth as quadrupeds, while the latter are 

 aquatic, and their feet are fin-shaped. Still, however, 

 our choice must be between these two, since it is per- 

 fectly clear that the Pterodactyli evince .a much rrearer 

 resemblance to the crocodiles, and \\\q Ichthyosaurus, ^hoxi 

 either to the lizards, tortoises, or the serpents. Now it 

 must be remembered that the crocodiles are connected to 

 the most perfectly-formed of all the orders of reptiles, 

 namely, the Saures, the distinguishing character of 

 which is, that, like quadrupeds, they have four feet per- 

 fectly developed, and formed for rapid motion. This 

 sort of perfection is not seen among the Enalosauri ; 

 their organs of locomotion are less perfect, that is, 

 formed upon a less elaborate plan, and only adapted for one 

 particular office — that of swimming in the water. Now 

 the Pterodactyli are very much in this situation ; they 

 have, indeed, four feet like the lizards, but then they are 

 so peculiarly formed, that two of them, as M. Cuvier ob- 

 serves, could be of little or no use in walking ; their feet, 

 therefore, may justly be characterised by the same term, 

 and in the same sense as we designate those of the Ich- 

 thyosaurus ; that is, they are imperfect. If, then, the Ptero- 

 dactyli are admitted to have an affinity either with the 

 recent crocodiles, or with the fossil order of reptiles (Ena- 

 losaures), it follows that their approximation to the latter 

 is, upon the whole, more than to the former ; and that, 

 consequently, they constitute an aberrant group in the 

 order Enalosaures, — an order with which they further 

 agree in being exterminated from the existing tribes of 

 reptiles. It may indeed be urged that animals which 

 swim by fins cannot well be placed in a group with 

 others which fly like bats ; but let us recollect that 

 VOL. n. K 



