i , - r .
40
II. Ami first of tlie species: Mr. Conybeare naturally struck with tlie great length of the neck,
fixed upon it—as the most unique feature of the skelcloii— for the specific appellation, and the term
Dolicliodeirus—a favorite Homeric compound—signifying a long and graceful neck, was given it.
Since llicn two line fragments of this remain have been acquired by the British Museum and Lord
Cole: they dilTcr materially from that of his Grace the Duke’s. As I too have been so fortunate to
find a fourtli specimen—by wliicli many of Mr. Conybeare's opinions that the former three were too
imperfect or dislocated to test have been satisfactorily solved—there can be no obstacle to the instant
recognition of the distinctions founded thereupon. I add a brief synopsis of tlio major difreiences
between these four Plesiosauri that the reader may be assured of their several relative characters.
COMPARATIVE SCALE AND NUMBER OF BONES.
Head. Neck. Tbose. Tail. AnISRIOR EXTRBMIXY.
Tlic Duke of BuckingUam’s - • small. ilislocatcd & & imperfect. Humerus, radius aud Femur, tibia & fibula.
uncertain. uncertain. ulna, 6 carpal bones; e tarsal bones ; longest
digital series imperfect. finger lOjoints.
Thatat British Museum ---- small. dislocated &20 venebno. imperfect. Humcrns, radius and Femur, tibia & fibuin.
uncertniii. ulna, 6 carpal bones; 5 tarsal bones; longest
digital scries imperfect. finger 9 joints.
Lord Cole’s specimen ......... large. SOvertebne. 1D Tertcbr». 4 vertcbne. Humerus, radius and Femur, tibia. & fibula.
rest lost. ulna, 8 carpal bones ’, 6 tarsal bones, longeet
longest finger lOjoints, finger 9 joinU.
Tlie Author’s; Plate XXIV-- large: 33 Tertebm. 20 vert. 18 33 vcrtebrse. Humerus, radius and Femur, tibia & fibula.
43 hones. ribs, 8 arcs. ulna, 6 carpal bones 3 tarsal bones ; longest
and two rows of digital finger 8 joints.
series, the others lost.
The Author's other; PlatoXXV lost. 24 rertebrse.
22 ribs. imperfect. imperfect. imperfect.
Now tliese specimens present great and imposing variations in the sliapc of tlie several bones, each
one of tliem deserving seemingly to be marked down as though distinctive Of species; but they are for
tlic most part unquestionably referable in some degree to the various ages of the animals and thcroforo
deserve no sucli claim. It is not in the relative characters of a few dislocated bones of an extinct family
that we look for the differences that identify species, but in some great deviation from the general
rule as betrayed in the tcctli of quadrupeds and in the limbs of oviparous reptiles: here, in the posterior
extremity—in the tarsus—it is discovered. We establish four species therefore—the same number tliat
belongs to the fisli-lizard genus—the
1. P lesiosaurus T riatarsostinus, from i-pm, three; ™p<rot, tarsus; and omcy, bone.
2.--P -------------- T essarestarsostinus, from Tio»opec, four; ropimc tarsus; and oin-<oF, bone.
3.--P---------------P entetarsostinus, from -reyrt, five; mpiroc. tarsus; and imioy. bone.
4.--P-------------- E xtarsostinus, from rf, six; rapioc, tarsus; and «irrii»'. bone.
III.-----------There is an oasis in the North of our Isle wiiich has a temple—like the Ephesian—beautiful,
high-priests venerable, and sons rich in the xvisdom that cures the maladies of the soul. Tlic northern
town Scarbro’—the second Bath—has founded this building—modelled after the temple of Theseus at
Athens—and directed tiie public energies to the cause of natural philosophy, of which it is the worthy
store-liouse. If my reader lias taken the palmer habit that he may travel to the heavenly countries of
Phanes, Zeus and Eros, let him visit tliat classic place and pay his vows at its Tiicscuian altars—one of
them is a fragment of the fifth Plesiosaurus and tiie Goliah of the race. I went seven hundred miles to
sec it----- worshipped it—and purpose it yet another pilgrimage.
PLESIOSAURUS TRIATARSOSTINUS.
I was spending the winter of 1831 as usual in London:-the Pestilence c. e just ill time to drive
mo thcncc into Somerset for the salvation of the Triatarsostinus.
Listen reader.
December gave up the ghost amidst a thousand friglitfiil rumours of the coming cliolera: if I
remember right, the 1st of Januaiy, 32, is mournfully distinguished as the day in which one of the
morning papers announced “ the Scouigc" present in Southwark: who will ever forget the panic
that followed; London was comparatively deserted within twenty-four hours. Tuesday six cases were
bulletined as having occurred-since its breaking out—a distinguislied physician assured me that six
hundred were nearer the tiuth: along the Borough bank of the Tiiamcs—in those crowtlcd lanes, where
so many Irish people herd, pent up as in a lazar-house^ where is Defoe?-what havoc and death!
Wednesday fatal cases trebled—about twenty publicly acknowledged—at least a hundred and
twenty known to the observant few. Ah I I was smoking cigare on tlie box of the Batli mail all the
night and at ten o'clock Thursday galloping over the Mcndips—the British Alps—on the Exeter.
The first thing that T ever do when I come to Glastonbury is to call on my friend—ray Pythias—
tliere: tlie second to drink a cup of coffee as sedative after my hundi ed-aiid-forty-milc journey: the third
is to dash over to the lias quarries at a neck-hazai-d tangent.
Now it happened that a person of Street by name Creese—a quarrier—a worttiy man enow—came
across tlie Triatarsostinus a few days before, and as I had given him no inconsiderable monies for
the bones that he had met with in the course of his business, he was at tho pains of taking it home in
hopes of getting more.
The Pliilistincs from Dan to Bcersheba know what a vile tendency to mischief every beautiful
object that ho can set his paw upon, disgraces John Bull. Oh! that the pillory should have been sent
a ¡lacking before the last brute that is fond of marring the sacred works of nature and art hail his
Esquimaux thing-of-a-soul tamed by it and the eggs and yellow cucumbers its excellent adjuncts. I blush
for the truth that points my pen, but I will tell one of my many chapters of accident—'tis charactcrislic.
A Colloquy i 1 Quai 2 T hiatausostisus.
“ I wonder what tes.”
“ O a vicry dragerii a-maa-bo. ”
'• One that stinged Moses a-maa-be; has."
“ Here's at ’un.'' A tremendous blow with the mallet.
“ How he do zomid: I wonder of the stwooiic be holler." Anotlicr tremendous blow.
“ ’Tcs vire stwoonc—vire stwoonc is terrible hard—lict 'un agcaii J a c k ."
Oh my Triatarsostinus ! broke in half.
" Tlierc’s lies baak-bwoonc."
'• An Ihcr's lies ribs.”