404 
PROFESSOR OWEN 
CH. XII. 
animal died, and the man only gets the price of a 
skeleton and skin.’ ^ 
Owen wrote but few papers this year, his most 
important contribution being a description of the 
‘ Fossil Chelonia of the Wealden,’ 4to. 
In 1854 a small series of fossils from the 
Purbeck Beds at Swanage were sent to Professor 
Owen by Messrs. Wilcox and W. R. Brodie. 
The majority of the specimens were remains of 
small saurians, and consisted mainly of lower jaws 
but the appearance of some teeth in certain of the 
small jaws suggested evidence of a mammalian 
rather than a reptilian origin and excited consider- 
able interest. A paper on the subject was con- 
tributed by the Professor to the Geological Societ)r 
in the same year, and a detailed exploration of the 
place of deposit was undertaken by Samuel H. 
Beckles at much cost and considerable personal 
risk. Ihe result of Mr. Beckles’s efforts was; 
made known to the world in collected form by 
Professor Owen in 1871. 
In 1854 appeared Parts V. and VI. of his 
work ‘On Dinornis’ (‘ Zool. Trans.’), also Part 
VI. of his ‘ History of British Fossil Reptiles.’ 
Amongst other writings this year his contribution 
of the article ‘ Mollusca ’ to the ‘ Encyclopa;dia 
Britannica’ may be mentioned.® Besides the usual 
’’ A paper descriptive of this ® In this he received the as- 
walruswas read at the Zoological sistance of Dr. S. P. Woodward. 
Society on November 8. It was published in 1858. 
