143 Miscellaneous. 



clay, the workmen have laid bare at Montalets (commune of Meu- 

 don) a left thigh-bone, which, from its characters, appears to me to 

 belong to the most common of the species of Anoplotherium de- 

 scribed by Cuvier ; it differs but a very little from it by being a 

 little longer in the bone, and will range under the varieties mentioned 

 by that illustrious palaeontologist. The proportions compared to^those 

 of the commonest species are : — 



Commonest species Meudoii 

 (Cuvier). species. 



Length between the head and the inner condylus... 0,36 0,40 



Breadth between the head and the great trochanter 0,12 0,118 



Breadth from one condylus to the other 0,10 0,085 



Great diameter of the head 0,047 0,053 



Diameter of the bone at its mean part 0,053 0,053 



This bone, the largest and best-preserved perhaps which has been 

 found in the inferior layers of our tertiary system, is of a dark brown 

 externally as well as throughout its compact substance ; but the 

 spongy tissue is incrusted with iron pyrites ornamented with the 

 richest colours ; the tissue is moreover penetrated with very small 

 crystals of sulphate of lime, which mineral incrusted all the bone 

 with lenticular crystals, even disputing the place with some impres- 

 sions of carbonized plants. It will perhaps also be interesting to 

 learn, that in the neighbourhood of its site and a little above it, in the 

 midst of a grayish clay abounding in seeds of Chara transformed into 

 hydrate of iron, a large number of nodules of amber were gathered, 

 as pure and transparent, but more fragile than that found on the 

 coasts of the Baltic. — Comptes Rendus, Dec. 23, 1844. 



Description of a new species of Australian Bird. By J. Gould. 



PoDicEPS AusTRALis. P. quottd colorem, P. cristato consimilis, at 

 crista collari in medio latiits et saturatiUs castaned, et ad apicem 

 latins nigrd. 



Crown of the head and occipital tufts black ; frill black at the outer 

 edge and chestnut in the centre, gradually passing into buffy white 

 on the face ; upper surface and wings dark brown ; scapularies and 

 secondaries pure white ; all the under surface silvery white, stained 

 with brown and chestnut on the flanks ; irides red ; bill dark horn- 

 colour ; upper surface of the tarsi and toes dark olive-green ; under 

 surface pale yellow. 



Total length, 24 inches ; bill, 2|; wing, 7^ ; tarsi, l^. 



Hah. Australia and Van Diemen's Land. 



Remark. — Nearly allied to P. cristatus, but differs in being some- 

 M'hat larger in size, and in having the frill fuller and of a blacker hue 

 than in that species. — Proc. Zool. Soc. August 13, 1844. 



Bibliographical Notice. 



We are informed that Mr. King is preparing for publication a 

 portion of his Lectures on Geology. The subjects treated of may be 

 gathered from the following headings : — 



A popular view of the production of coal from vegetable matter. 



