PROCEEDINGS OF GEOLOGICAL SOCIETIES. 
33 
31. Witte. Wagner termed this animal Gripliosaurus, and, unfortunately, 
soon after died. Professor Ou-en communicated with, the owner, M. Hii- 
berlein, of Pappenheim, whose collection x>Ir. Wuterhouse 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. In ear the anterior bordt;r of the impres- 
tions of the wings the stone was broken. The head may have been within 
this broken part. The ischium, sliowing the acetabuluiu, 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 plialanges, riglit 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 whii-h bone counter- 
part impressions exist. Tlie vanes, and even the sliafts 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 dispUiced back- 
wards : the left liumerus outwards and a little forwards, as well as tlie 
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 dislocatod 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 incli ; the anterior 
series of barbs are longest and obtusel}^ 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 imjjressions of tail feathers number twenty, and 
-ucceed each other ; the principal correspond in number on each side with 
the tail vertebrce. 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 Ftcrodacti/lus Siie- 
rlcus, which was about the same size as Archajopteryx. The curved cla- 
vicle was 2 inches long. The scapula was 2 inches broad at the apex, the 
arch being open and round, not contracted as in Gallinaecae. No Ptero- 
dactyle had a furculum. The humerus, 2 inches 10 lines in length, is sig- 
nioidally flexed as in birds ; it was 6 lines in breadth, and in contour most 
like that of the Corvidaj. The humerus of the Archaeopteryx closely re- 
sembles the form in many birds, as the penguin, the touraco, etc. The 
Pterodactyle'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 i)enultimate phalanx 
is seen 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 birds, and similar claws or spurs exist in the 
Parra jacana, the Palamedea, the spur-winged goose, and the Syrian 
blackbird. The Archaeopteryx differs from all known birds in having two 
VOL. VI. F 
