His Researches on Fossils 



37 



The great fragments from the Stormberg range 

 are portions of the thigh-bones of a great 

 Dinosaurian reptile as big as Megalosaurus and 

 probably nearly allied to it. 



This is the first time that any reptile of this 

 group has been found fossil in South Africa, and 

 as in Europe Megalosaurus and its allies are 

 essentially mesozoic, it is highly probable that 

 careful exploration of the Stormberg beds, and 

 careful tracing out of their connexion with the 

 dicynodon-bearing strata, will throw great light 

 on the geology of South Africa. Mr. Brown says 

 he can get more bones from the Stormberg rocks. 

 I earnestly trust that he will do so, keeping a 

 particularly sharp look out for teeth, vertebrae 

 and articular ends of bones. In the meantime I 

 will send a notice of the new beast to the 

 Geological Society, giving Mr. Brown all the 

 credit so energetic and intelligent a worker 

 deserves. The account he gives of the fossil 

 discovered on the 24th May is highly interesting, 

 but at the same time perplexing. I trust he will 

 send it as soon as possible." 



Brown was elated when he received this letter 

 of Huxley's from Murchison, for it showed in 

 the handwriting of the reigning master of Com- 

 parative Anatomy that he had begun to deliver 

 the goods. Accordingly he wrote directly to 



