| Administrative History | The fossil was the first specimen found of a Plesiosaurus macrocephalus, discovered by Mary Anning at Lyme Regis in December 1830 and named by William Buckland in 1836. William Willoughby, Lord Cole, later Earl of Enniskillen, (and Fellow of the Geological Society) purchased the fossil in 1831 for the then massive sum of 200 guineas. The specimen is now housed at the Natural History Museum. |
| Publication Note | Created to accompany paper by Richard Owen which was read before Society, 4 April 1838. Paper published as: Owen, R. "A description of Viscount Cole's specimen of a Plesiosaurus macrocephalus". 'Proceedings of the Geological Society of London', vol 2, pp663-666 (1838) & 'Transactions of the Geological Society of London' 2nd series, vol 5, pp515-535 (1838), plate 43. |