Miscellaneous. 237 



some of the extinct species — which, like the C. coniceps and C.platy~ 

 gnathus, exhibit either a form of head well adapted for penetrating 

 the soil, or with modifications that indicate an affinity to the Trio- 

 nyxes — was assigned the task of checking the undue increase of the 

 extinct crocodiles of the same epoch and locality, by devouring their 

 eggs or their young, becoming probably, in return, themselves an oc- 

 casional prey to the older individuals of the same carnivorous saurian. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



RESULTS OF DEEP DREDGING. 



To the Editors of the Annals of Natural History. 

 Gentlemen, — Observing my name in connection with an article 

 in your Magazine of last month, showing the results of deep dred- 

 ging off the Mull of Galloway, I am induced to trouble you with a 

 few remarks as to those results. 



The depths mentioned in that article are, I believe, far greater than 

 any which had been previously explored on the British CQast. My 

 own experience (which has been very considerable) has not enabled 

 me to obtain the result of any greater depth than 50 fathoms. But 

 I was somewhat disappointed on perusing the article to observe such 

 a scanty list of rariora and total absence of novelties, where such dis- 

 coveries might have been well looked for, and also at the rare occur- 

 rence of living specimens. The species which appear to be peculiar 

 to the west and north coasts of Scotland, and all of which I noticed 

 in my list of Oban shells, (viz. the Trichotropis acuminatus, Pecten ni- 

 vens and Astarte semisulcata,) appear to be wanting at the depths and 

 locality explored byCapt.Beechey ; besides the Pecten aculeatus, which 

 has been also dredged off the Isle of Arran and in Cork Harbour. 

 The Trochus elegans in my list of Oban shells (named millegranus in 

 your Magazine) has been obtained by me from seven or eight dif- 

 ferent localities in Scotland and Ireland ; and I this autumn procured 

 it abundantly, by dredging off Fishguard, on the Pembrokeshire 

 coast. Nucula minuta, and all the three species of Lima, have been 

 found on different parts of the English coast. Eulima Donovani (E. 

 polita of British authors, but not of Risso, who first published the 

 name,) was found by me to be not uncommon in the Shetland Isles. 

 Nothing at present occurs to me with reference to the recorded 

 results of dredging obtained by my friend Mr. Forbes, as I presume 

 his researches were instituted principally with a view to elucidate 

 certain geological principles. 



I take this opportunity of observing, that the Eulima decussata 

 (n. s.) in my list of Oban shells had been previously found at Ex- 

 mouth by Mr. Clark, who named it " Pyramidella Jeffreysii" and 

 this autumn by myself at Fishguard. The E. crassula in the same 

 list has not, as far as I can learn, been obtained from any other lo- 

 cality. The Corbula rostrata in the same list had been, it seems, 

 previously published by Capt. Brown, under the name of Anatina 

 rostrata, and Mr. Gray has proposed for it the new generic name 

 of Neara. I am, Gentlemen, your faithful servant, 



10th October, 1842. J. Gwyn Jeffreys, F.R. & L.SS. 



