344 
POPULAR SCIENCE REVIEW. 
however, merely in passing, as collateral evidence in favour of a 
still bolder proposition put forward by that gentleman with 
regard to another stray fragment preserved on the slab on which 
the Archseopteryx reposes. This is referred to in the expla- 
nation of Plate 1 of Professor Owen’s memoir as “ fig. 3 p\ 
Premaxillary bone, and fig. 1 p, its impression, resembling that 
of a fossil fish.” 
Mr. John Evans has published a very interesting account of 
his investigation of this little fossil jaw, which appeared in the 
Natural History Review,” * from which I shall venture to make 
a few extracts. Mr. Evans writes : — 
“ On the principal slab in the angle between the right femur 
and tibia is a small V-shaped object ; the longer of the two 
limbs about 1^- inches in length, made up partly of mineralised 
bone and partly of impressions of other portions of the same 
bones preserved in the counterpart slab. From its form it had, 
I believe, been considered as possibly representing the beak of 
the Archceopteryx ; but great was my surprise when I detected 
along its right hand margin, towards the apex, the distinct im- 
pression in the slab of four teeth still attached to it. The teeth 
themselves remain adhering to the counterpart, and are easily 
recognised by the lustre of their enamel. There seems also to 
be a portion of a fifth tooth visible, which has been displaced 
and lies across the base of that nearest the point of the jaw. 
The portion of the jaw to which they are attached is unfortu- 
nately much injured, and there is no appearance of any teeth in 
connection with the other limb of the V.” (See Plate CXXV., 
fig. 3 c.). 
Whether the whole is a lower jaw, with the teeth, or rather a 
few of them, remaining in one half only, and with the symphysis 
of the jaw at the point of the V ; or whether it is a portion of 
an upper jaw in which the second limb of the V would be pro- 
bably part of the facial and nasal bones, I cannot pretend to 
determine ; and I am afraid that the whole is in too fragmen- 
tary and obscure a condition for any positive conclusions to be 
drawn on this point. 
The character of the teeth, however, appears to me to be well 
defined. The three which remain in a vertical position with 
regard to the jaw are about 0T0 inch long, and at intervals of 
about 0*20 inch. They consist of a slightly tapering flattened 
enamelled crown, about 0*04 inch in width, and obtusely pointed, 
set upon what is apparently a more bony base which widens out 
suddenly into a semi-elliptical form, so that at the line of at- 
* u On Portions of a Cranium and of a Jaw in the Slab containing the 
Fossil Remains of the Archceopteryx ” By John Evans, F.R.S., F.G.S. 
“ Natural History Review,” July 1865, p. 415. 
