1868.] Prof. Huxley upon Archseopteryx lithographica. 247 



sustained, would leave Archceopteryx without a parallel in the vertebrate 

 subkingdom. 



When the specimen of Archceopteryx is once put into its right position, 

 many points of its structure acquire an intelligibility which they lose to 

 those who accept the interpretations given in the memoir. The so-called 

 right foot, for example, which, as a right foot, is like nothing in nature, 

 becomes strikingly ornithic as a left foot, from the backward direction of 

 the hallux and the apparent anchylosis of the metatarsal bones. The distal 

 ends of the second and third metatarsals appear to me, however, to be sepa- 

 rated for a much greater distance, proportionately to the length of the me- 

 tatarsus, than in any existing birds, except the Penguins. 



The femur is more slender and more curved in proportion to its length 

 than in any recent bird with which I am acquainted. The representation 

 of the bone in fig. 1 of Plate III. is inaccurate, as may be seen by com- 

 paring it with that given in Plate I. 



The small size of the cnemial crest of the tibia is also very remarkable. 

 The right innominate bone is imperfectly represented in Plate I. of the 

 memoir cited. Its anterior end is not, as it there appears to be, abruptly trun- 

 cated : there is an elevation in the region which would be occupied by the 

 prominence against which the base of the great trochanter works, and which 

 is so characteristic of birds. The greater part of the ischium is not re- 

 presented ; and the sacrosciatic space certainly has not the form which it 

 is represented to have. The references o to the " obturator foramen," and 

 63, to the "ischium" {I. c. p. 40), are unintelligible to me. 



The ischium can be traced back for | of an inch from the acetabulum ; 

 and so much of it as is preserved remains narrow throughout this extent, 

 and is convex upwards, but concave downwards or towards the matrix. 



The ventral edge of the ischium appears to be entire throughout this 

 extent ; but the posterior moiety of its dorsal edge is somewhat rough and 

 angular. It is therefore very probable that the ischium expanded behind 

 the sacrosciatic notch and united with the ilium, as it very generally does in 

 carinate birds. It is very desirable that this part of the skeleton of 

 Archceopteryx should be figured again. 



The scapula has a distinct clavicular process, as in carinate birds ; and 

 it seems to be pretty clear that the scapula had that twofold angulation 

 upon the coracoid which is characteristic of the Carinatce. 



The glenoidal end of the coracoid is unlike the corresponding part of that 

 bone in any of the Ratitcd ; but it is more like that of a Pterodactyle than 

 that of any carinate bird which I have met with. It is less prominent (and 

 the counterpart shows that this shortness is not the result of fracture) than 

 in any recent bird, provided with a strong furculum, with which I am 

 acquainted. In fact, in its form, and strength relatively to the shoulder- 

 girdle, the so-called " furculum " appears to me to be the greatest osteo- 

 logical difficulty presented by Archceopteryx. 1 prefer waiting for the 



