PROCEEDINGS OF GEOLOGICAL SOCIETIES. 



33 



M. Witte. Wagner termed this animal Griphosaurus, and, unfortunately, 

 soon after died. Professor Owen communicated with the owner, M. Ha- 

 berlein, of Pappenheim, whose collection Mr. Waterhouse was deputed to 

 inspect, and ultimately to purchase. The ventral aspect of the specimen 

 was exposed, the furculum marking the fore part of the trunk. It was 

 1 foot 8| inches in length, and measured across, from the apex of the right 

 so the left wing, 1 foot 4 inches. Near the anterior border of the impres- 

 tions of the wings the stone was broken. The head may have been within 

 this broken part. The ischium, showing the acetabulum, twenty caudal 

 vertebrae, several ribs, the left scapula, proximal part of the left humerus, 

 distal part of ditto, left radius, ulna, and carpals, right humerus, radius, 

 and ulna, two right metacarpals, and two ungual phalanges, right femur, 

 right tibia, left femur, left tibia, were preserved, as well as impressions 

 of the quill feathers, and of down on the body ; one clawbone belong- 

 ing to the right digit of the wing was present, of which bone counter- 

 part impressions exist. The vanes, and even the shafts of the feathers, can 

 be distinctly seen by the naked eye. The furculum, pelvis, and bones of 

 the tail are in their natural positions. The left scapula is displaced back- 

 wards : the left humerus outwards and a little forwards, as well as the 

 antibrachium. The wing feathers diverge one inch in front of the carpus. 

 The right humerus extends backwards, and the two metacarpals or proxi- 

 mal phalangeals are dislocated inwards. Fourteen long quill-feathers di- 

 verge on each side of the metacarpal and phalangeal bones ; the tibia ex- 

 tends outwards. The foot is contracted ; the left femur is turned outwards. 

 The feathers decrease in length from six inches to one inch ; the anterior 

 series of barbs are longest and obtusely rounded. The area covered by 

 the diverging quills of the left wing is 14 inches ; by the right, 11. The 

 three posterior primaries are dislocated backwards ; one primary is exqui- 

 sitely preserved. The impressions of tail feathers number twenty, and 

 succeed each other ; the principal correspond in number on each side with 

 the tail vertebrae. The length of the anterior tail feathers is 1 inch, at 

 the end 5 inches ; the tail is 11 inches in length, and 3| in breadth, being 

 obtusely truncated at the end. The wings have a general resemblance to 

 those of the gallinaceous, or round-winged birds. The scapula resembles 

 that of a bird, and was compared with a structure in PterodacUjlus Sue- 

 dens, which was about the same size as Arclueopteryx. The curved cla- 

 vicle w as 2 inches long. The scapula was 2 inches broad at the apex, the 

 arch being open and round, not contracted as in Gallinacese. jS"o Ptero- 

 dactyle had a furculum. The humerus, 2 inches 10 lines in length, is sig- 

 moidally Hexed as in birds ; it was 6 lines in breadth, and in contour most 

 like that of the Corvidae. The humerus of the Archseopteryx closely re- 

 sembles the form in many birds, as the penguin, the touraco, etc. The 

 Pterodactylc's radius and ulna were equal in thickness ; not so in Archaeo- 

 pteryx. A single carpal bone is shown on the left side ; on the right a 

 mass of spar occupies its place; but it is a doubtful indication. The form 

 of the metacarpals agrees with those of birds; but if they be proximal 

 phalanges they differ, being more equal in length and thickness,. There is 

 the impression of a slender bone 11 lines long, like the basal part of an 

 ungual phalanx:: in advance, a bone supporting the penultimate phalanx 

 is Been in both slabs, being in appearance like the claw phalanx of rapto- 

 rial birds. The hand, besides supporting the remiges of the wing, probably 

 supported a digit with a small though pointed claw. The structure of the 

 hand otherwise agreed with bin's, and similar claws or spurs exisl in the 

 P(trra jaeana, the Palamedea, the spur-winged goose, and the Syrian 

 blackbird. The Arclueopteryx differs from all known birds in having two 

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