Fig. 116As one last point of interest in this matter: As recently as December of 1691, a dragon was
still believed to be living in an area of wetlands near Rome. The creature was said to have lived in
a cave and supposedly terrorized the local population quite regularly. It was reported to have been
eventually killed by locals and a sketch of the skeleton has survived in the possession of a man
named Ingegniero Cornelio Meyer (fig.117). The most remarkable thing about the animal
depicted in the sketch is that it appears to be a Pterosaur known as the ‘Scaphognathus’ (actually,
the Rhamphorhynchoid Pterosaur known as Scaphognathus crassirostris, if you feel like being
technical about it.)
Fig.117According to experts on such matters, of which I am most certainly not one: “The creature
clearly displays a head crest complete with a dual piece of skin attached to it which is
characteristic of the species, five digits are visible on each foot and are anatomically correct for
the Scaphognathus Pterosaur inasmuch as each digit is of the proper length, the first one
appearing slightly shorter and offset to the rest. The femur is correctly displayed as a single bone
and the twin lower leg bones (the tibia and fibula), are also quite visible. A small wing claw can
be seen on the far wing where it curves forward, and the wings themselves are depicted
membranous and are correctly positioned forward of the legs on the vertebrae which also
matches existing fossil records.”