1839-40 TRACING THE BONE'S OWNER 147 



large as, if not larger than, the full-sized male 

 ostrich — with this more striking difference, that 

 whereas the femur of the ostrich, like that of the 

 cassowary, emu, rhea, and eagle, is "pneumatic" 

 or contains air, the present huge bird's bone had 

 been filled with marrow, like that of a beast. 



' When its owner called the next day, I told 

 him, with much pleasure, the result of my com- 

 parisons, and assured him that I would recom- 

 mend the purchase of the bone, at the price 

 asked, to the Museum Committee. 



' I regret to relate that, notwithstanding my 

 testimony, the purchase of the unpromising frag- 

 ment was declined ; and it was not convenient to 

 me in 1839 to pay the sum out of my own. 

 pocket. I promised, however, to commend the 

 specimen to other possible purchasers, one of 

 whom I found, through my friend Mr. Broderip, 

 F.R.S., in Benjamin Bright, Esq., then M.P. for 

 Bristol. 



' Meanwhile the vendor permitted me to 

 make some drawings, and these, together with my 

 descriptions and conclusions, were submitted to 

 the Zoological Society of London, November 12, 

 1839. I was not surprised that there was some 

 hesitation in the Publication Committee as to 

 the admission of the paper with the plate into the 

 "Transactions." 



' The bone was not fossilised ; it might have 



l 2 



