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bones, of two species of extinct rhinoceros (R. tichorinus, and R. leptorhinus), from the diluvial deposits of this country. There are also skulls of Rhinoceros from the frozen gravel of Siberia.

F. (On the right side of the entrance from Room IV.) There are several crania, and many teeth and bones of mammalia from the Sub-Himalayas, or Sewalik Hills. Among them are fine examples of jaws and teeth of an extinct species of Camel. But this Case contains a most interesting and unique specimen,-the skull of the Sivatherium giganteum. There is, likewise, the cast of the skull of another species of the same remarkable animal, the Sivatherium Perimense. On the top of this case there are casts of the entire series of bones of one of the limbs of the Sivatherium giganteum, from the originals in the museum of the East India Company.

On the top of the Wall-cases.

A. On the angle: a fine specimen of a very large river fish (Lepidotus Mantelli), from the Wealden of Sussex, presented by the Rev. John Gould.

B. Casts of the bones of the head of a gigantic species of Asterolepis (A. Asmusii), from the Devonian deposits of Riga; presented by Sir R. I. Murchison.

E. The skull and antlers of the Irish Elk.

F. There are three fine crania of bovine animals placed upright, and two or three imperfect specimens lying near them. The cranium on the left is from the Sewalik Hills s; the central specimen is also from India, but I could not ascertain the locality; it is said to have been presented by Major Rawlinson: both are undescribed species. The skull with horns of Bos primigenius, on the right, is from Scotland. There are several fossil crania of Bovidæ among the unarranged bones of mammalia in Case B. of Room II.; but in the present state of the collection, it is useless to attempt to particularise them.

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Table-cases. As the Table-cases containing fossil fishes are on the south or left side of the room, and are numbered consecutively, it will be convenient to describe them in that order, beginning with Table-case, 2, of the annexed plan, (ante, p. 410.)

2. [1.] ORDER 1. PLACOIDS.—Ichthyodorulites.—The osseous fin-rays, or spines, of various genera of cartilaginous fishes. They comprise a great many species from the secondary and

palæozoic formations. M. Agassiz has divided them into genera, according to their form and sculpturing.

This Case contains some beautiful Ichthyodorulites from the Chalk, Oolite, Lias, and Devonian strata, of the genera Oracanthus, Ctenacanthus, Asteracanthus, Gyracanthus, Leptacanthus, Ptychacanthus, &c.

4. [2.] Teeth of Hybodus, and maxillary bones of Chimaroid fishes: a fine series of the latter. Some of these beautiful specimens were collected by the late FREDERICK DIXON, Esq. from the London Clay, at Bracklesham, Sussex,-namely, Edaphodon, Ischyodus, &c. which have been figured and described by Sir Philip Egerton.'

The other division of this Case is devoted to teeth of the Squalidæ, or Shark family; many are from the Sussex Chalk, and belong to the genera Lamna, Otodus, Notidanus, &c. There are also spines of a species of Acanthias, from the Lower Chalk, &c.

6. [3.] Vertebræ, teeth, and spines of Squalidæ from the Chalk, &c. Teeth and other remains of Hybodus from the Wealden, Oolite, and Lias.

8. [4.] Teeth of fishes allied to the Cestracions. The Cestracion is a genus of existing fishes inhabiting the seas of New Holland, and is commonly called the Port-Jackson Shark.

Teeth of species of Ptychodus (generally known as fossil palates, leeches, &c.), from the Chalk; and of Acrodus, Orodus, Cochleodus, Psammodus, Strophodus, Ctenoptychius, &c.

10. [5.] Teeth, and maxillary bones of fishes of the Ray family, chiefly from the London Clay. Many are from Bracklesham, and were collected by the late Mr. Dixon. They comprise specimens of Myliobates (Mul-rays), and Etobates, (Eagle-rays), &c.

In the other compartment there are portions of the bony proboscis and teeth of the Pristis or Saw-fish, which are of extreme rarity in a fossil state. There are remains of two extinct species; Pristis Hastingsic and P. distortus, from Bracklesham, and Hordwell, &c.

In this Case there is a slab of limestone from Solenhofen, with numerous articulated rays of the dorsal fin of a large fish, presented by the late Marquis of Northampton.

1 In the late Mr. Dixon's "Fossils from the Cretaceous and Tertiary Formations of Sussex," 1 vol. 4to. with numerous beautiful plates. 1851.

12. [6.] Unarranged specimens of fossil fishes.

The Table-cases on the opposite side of the room are devoted to Fossil Cephalopoda; as Belemnites, Belemnoteuthis, Loligo, &c.; and Ammonites, Nautili, &c.

Table-case 1.—This contains a fine suite of Belemnoteuthis, and other Sepiadæ, and Belemnites; chiefly from the Oxford Clay of Wiltshire. Among these fossils are examples of Belemnoteuthis, with the body, ink-bag, eyes, the arms, with the suckers, hooks, and other parts, beautifully displayed; and and of Belemnites with the phragmocones, and their elongated basal processes; these are especially worthy of close examination, for they incontrovertibly prove the correctness of the late Mr. Channing Pearce's opinion, that the soft parts of Cephalopoda found in the Oxford Clay, belong to a genus altogether distinct from the Belemnites with which they are associated.

3. A series of Belemnites; not yet arranged.

5. A miscellaneous collection of Ammonites; many of the specimens are of great beauty.

7. Ammonites. Many rare, and some unique specimens from the Chalk marl, collected by the author; as Ammonites Woolgari, A. falcatus, A. navicularis, A. catinus, A. curvatus, A. cinctus. (Figured in "Geology of Sussex," Pl. XXI., &c.) 9. This case likewise contains Ammonites of various genera and species.

11. It is intended to remove the fossil Insects and Crustaceans at present deposited in this Table-case, to Room VI. and substitute Ammonites.

13. This and the next table contain fossil shells of extinct genera of Cephalopodous mollusks. In the east compartment of the table, are Hamites, Scaphites, Ancyloceras, Ptychoceras, Baculites, and those enigmatical fossil bodies termed Trigonellites, or Aptychus. The other division is filled with Nautili. Among these are many Rhyncholites, or fossil beaks of Cephalopoda.

14. Turrilites, Orthoceratites, Conularia, and other allied forms. The Turrilites are remarkably fine; one of them is the largest discovered in England.'.

1 See "Medals of Creation," p. 503.

15. Pedestal in the centre of the room. The skeleton of the extinct gigantic Elk of Ireland (Cervus megaceros). This specimen is seven feet high to the top of the forehead, and eight feet long; the distance from tip to tip of the antlers is nine feet.

**To facilitate reference I subjoin a list of the families and tribes of Fossil Fishes as they are inscribed on the Wallcases over the respective numbers.

LIST OF FAMILIES AND TRIBES OF FOSSIL FISHES IN ROOM V. The letters refer to the Plan, ante, p. 410: the numbers to the divisions in the Cases.

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CHAPTER V.

PART II.

FOSSIL FISHES OF THE GANOID ORDER.

ICHTHYOLITES,

OR FOSSIL FISHES- AGASSIZ'S CLASSIFICATION— - FINS OF

FISHES-GANOID

ORDER-CEPHA

FISHES TEETH OF FISHES-TAILS OF
LASPIDIANS-LEPIDOIDS-ACANTHODIANS-DIPTERIANS-SAUROIDS-CELA-

CANTHS-SCLERODERMS-PYCNODONS.

ICHTHYOLITES, OR FOSSIL FISHES. The fossil remains of FISHES are of great importance in a geological point of view, for they demonstrate the existence of highly organized beings in the most ancient fossiliferous strata, and the continuance of the same Class of vertebrata, variously modified, through the entire series of subsequent deposits to the present time. Each formation contains certain groups of fishes, distinguished by well-marked peculiarities of structure. Thus, according to the data at present obtained, all the osseous fishes that lived antecedently to the Chalk, belong to genera which have no representatives in the existing ichthyic faunas, and were covered by enamelled rhomboidal scales.

The state of preservation in which the fossil remains of fishes occur, has resulted from the relative delicacy or durability of the original structures, and on the chemical nature and mechanical conditions of the deposits in which they were imbedded. Thus the Ichthyolites of the most ancient sedimentary strata, the Silurian and Devonian, which are characterized by their dense integument and enamelled scales, often present the entire forms of the originals, and generally retain considerable portions of the scales connected, with the fins, and other appendages; while those of later formations, being chiefly species with delicate scales, more frequently

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