OWEN, Sir Richard (1804-1892). Naturalist.
Autograph Letter Signed to the Rev T[homas] L. Montefiore in Charmouth, 4 pages 8vo on black-edged paper with envelope-front (mounting on fourth page), British Museum, 31 January 1862. Discussing the dimensions of the Ichthyosaurus. Together with an original carte-de-visite sized photograph.

'Taking the length of the lower jaw as that of the head the entire vertebral column is three times that length: in other words the lower jaw is one-fourth the length of the whole skeleton, in Ichthyosaurus communis. Now, it has to be remembered that, in consequence of different parts having different ratios of growth ... the age or size of an Ichthyosuarus may a little affect the proportions I have assigned...'

[No: 20902]