Mr Buckland Sir
I am ashamed of you as ort to be as is thought to be a Natteralist about them ere lions in Daniels den. Yes they hev fine Manes no doubt in the Pictur and you ar all right Sir about the [?] of the 3 year old at our establishement Mr Jamrach as gos in for the ould testiment he says they niver had South African black manes in Nebukednezers country. You may hev seed the Maneless lion as was in the Zoological sum years back and cum from North of India. Well I tuk my missus a Whitmunday to the Kademy and seed the pictur cost me two bob and a Whituesday we went to the british Museum free gratis and tuk her into the [?] where Nebukednezers hartist has drawed in stone the Assisirrian Lions in a way as shows that he observed ther nature and must have bin the sort that ort to have med a mil of Daniel and they have no more Manes nor the Maneless lions as are now in North Indier. Its all right what you say of the Kademy hartists that they should observe nature more and I says they should not go to the Cap to get lions for Daniels den but other folk besides hartists should look to nature and the geograffical dustribution of beastes.
Your humble Servant
Mary Anning is exceedingly sorry she has not been able to answer Dr. Buckland's letter sooner, the reason for not having done so was because I had found a part of a very large skeleton, and was in hope it might turn out fine but am sorry to say it has not. In regard to the Ichthyosaurus Dr. Buckland has heard of it is now in the possession of Miss Philpot, it is a small animal laying on its back and you would almost fancy that it was in the very act of voiding its [albian gronum?] for it lays at the bottom of the stomach and touching the bones of the pelvis, this little animal is a most illustrative specimen laying in nearly perfect order, and it illustrated a geological fact as the upper part of the body was on one side of a fault and the posterior part on the other and the divided parts matched exactly, the fault was about eight inches.
I have another part of a skeleton very beautiful by me with a bezore very plain but much flattened, it is remarkable that this creature is covered by scales like our small fish, its sternum very fine, no paddles but altogether a remarkable pretty thing price four pound. I have also another with the head and back very good with the bezoar in its stomach but not so clear as the one above described, price £4. I believe I venture to say that two out of three has more or less of it.
Cpt [Morings] beautiful little skeleton is not very good you can only see its form as he will not pick it for fear of injuring the animal, he would dispose of that if he could get £50 for it. I have never seene but three specimens of the plesiosaurus at all connected, and do not think that either of them had any sing of it. I think the small ichthyosaurus that Geographical Society purchased of me had the bezoar if you should go to town you can examine it.
Respectful Remembrance to Mrs Buckland and kiss your dear lovely baby
Your obliged humble Servant
Mary Anning
Dr. Buckland
[?] [?]
Christ Church
Oxford
Sir
Having collected a basket full of Coprolites and Sepias, the large Sepia I hope you will think illustrative - nearly the whole of the Coprolites came from the Coprolite or fish ledge there is two of these ledges about eight feet apart. I have no doubt myself but that they were dropped quietly were we now find them and that the Ichthyosaurus fed on scaly fish you will find two together to prove this in some measure. I have also sent two fragments of the first [chamber?] of the Ammonite with that black [undescribed?] substance, it positively is not any portion of the shell do not go calling me a fool remember the Tortise footsteeps. Sir have you observed in the Sepias a substance resembling Coprolite besides the sack or ink bag - In thinking over Miss Philpot's collection I reccolected two little rings which we could not make out at the time I found them. It is very probably that they may be the sepia rings. Miss P has kindly given me one of them for you. Mr de la Beche and myself a few days back went down to search the Red Marle we found a pretty vegetable and fish scales in it as black as those found in lias. How is Mrs Buckland and the two dear boys. I trust by this time you have welcomed a little stranger I hope it is a girl like her mother and you need not wish for anything better on Earth, please to present my best respects to Mrs. B. Should you wish for any more Cops. or Sepia please to write word
Your obliged humble Servant
Mary Anning
Addressed to Dr. Buckland
Christ Church
Oxford
I fear Dr. Buckland will think that I have forgotten to send the fish but I have been far from well or should have sent it sooner. The Ammonite with its parasites and the wood ditto. I hope Dr. B will accept as a small token of my sense of Dr. B's kind present of the pictures I have already sold saving the [?] of shells are also parasites having entirely displaced the ammonite which always the case with this species of ammonite I fear there is nothing new in the coprolites - trusting that Mrs Buckland and the dear children are quite well.
I remain respectfully your gratefully and obliged humble Servt.
Mary Anning
Inked Note
Grandfather's Epitaph
by Dr. Whately
Arch of Dublin
Harold Bompas Esqre
121 Westbourne Terrace
W.2
EPITAPH
on Dr. Buckland
Mourn Ammonites mourn, o'er his funeral urn
Whose neck ye will grace no more
Gneiss, Granite and Slate, he settled your date
And this ye must now deplore
Weep caverns weep with infiltering drip
Your recesses he'll cease to explore;
For Mineral veins and Organic remains
No stratum again will he bore
His wit shone like Chrystal, his knowledge profound
From Gravel to Granite descended,
No Trap could deceive him, no Slip could confound
or Specimen true or pretended
He know the Birth-Rock of each pebble so round
and how far its Tour had extended
His Eloquence flowed like the Deluge retiring
Which Mastodon carcases floated
To a subject obscure he gave charms so inspiring
Young and old on Geology doated
He stood forth like an Outlier his hearers admiring
With pencil each anecdote noted
Where shall we our great Professor inter
That in peace may rest his Bones
If we hew him a rocky Sepulchre
He'll rise and break the Stones
And examine each Stratum that lies around
For he's quite in his Element underground
If with Mattock and Spade his body we lay
in the common Alluvial soil
He'll start up and snatch those Tools away
Of his own geological Toil
In a Stratum so young the Professor distains
That imbedded should be his Organic Remains
Then exposed to the drip of some [case?] hardening Spring
His Carcase let Stalactite cover
and to Oxford the petrified Sage we will bring
When he is incrusted all over
There mid Mammoths and Crocodiles high on a Shelf
Let him stand as a Monument raised to Himself
(on Dr. Buckland LLD
reader in Geology Oxford)
Fold of paper on which is written
the very Revd.
the Dean of Westminster
Signed [Clinton?]
Mrs Buckland
Ch. Ch.
Oxford
Shrewsbury Monday
My Dear Mary
I got your letter at Bangor Saturday and mean to stay this day in the neighbourhood of Salop and hope to be in Oxford Tuesday Eve by Birmingham coach about 8. Mr Sopwith is gone to meet Mr [Baddell?] near Wolverhampton
Ever yours
W.B.
Sheep
Thursday
My Dear Mary
I have seen Capt. and Mrs Smyth and Mr and Mrs. Butler and have settled for Edward to go to them next Monday ------night. I have written to him to leave Oxon. Saturday at 10.30
Ever Yours
W. Buckland
To Mrs Buckland
Dear Mary
In the Dining Room Right Hand Corner of Hall down among 10 Maps is one 3 feet long in a Brown [?] with a red tape round it is a Map of Berks. and Oxford wh. send by [?] to
Yours Very Truly
Wm. Buckland