His Researches on Fossils 



47 



further operations. Brought home a large number 

 of bones ; about one hundred and fifty in a 

 fragmentary state — found in the talus — consisting 

 of portions of limbs, ribs and foot bones. Also 

 secured a large block of rock, 2 ft. 6 in. long, 

 18 in. broad, and 12 in. thick, containing the 

 remains of three finely preserved ribs and portions 

 of two vertebrae. The mass of rock was secured 

 just as broken from the strata. 

 M The ribs and the vertebrae. — The ribs are very 

 large, resembling a stout crow-bar in dimensions 

 and strength. The vertebrae are worthy of the 

 ribs, being about five inches in diameter, of 

 massive proportions, and having the spinal canal 

 about two inches in diameter. 

 M The bed containing the fossils. — The sandstone 

 is a compact freestone rock. P. Murphy, who has 

 travelled hundreds of miles in Africa and opened 

 several quarries, says that it is the hardest stone 

 of its kind that he has ever seen, and that it 

 much resembles freestone. The bed is very 

 compact, without lamination, and breaks in any 

 direction. The stratum containing the bones is 

 highly indurated, as if trampled by the feet of 

 reptiles engaged in a deadly combat. The 

 stratum is for a few feet curved in every possible 

 direction — not after its formation by volcanic 

 disturbance, but while still in a soft state by the 



