Geological Society. .305 



A note was also read by Mr. Tulk on the habits of a large toad 

 which he had found confined in a hole, out of which it was impossible 

 for it to make its escape, and the intestines of which he found filled 

 with the remains of various Carabidce, especially 'Steropus madidus, 

 which had sought shelter in the same place, and which had scarcely 

 undergone any change whilst in the stomach of the toad. This in- 

 duced Professor Owen to observe, that an examination of various 

 kinds of Coprolites of animals analogous to the toad would probably 

 lead to the discovery of many extinct species of insects of which we 

 are now ignorant. 



GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Feb. 24, 1841. — A paper entitled "Description of parts of the 

 Skeleton and Teeth of five species of the genus Labyrinthodon, 

 from the new red sandstone of Coton End and Cubbington Quar- 

 ries ; with remarks on the probable identity of the Cheirotherium 

 with that genus of extinct Batrachians," by Richard Owen, Esq., 

 F.G.S., F.R.S. 



In a paper read on the 20th of January, Mr. Owen described the 

 peculiarities in the structure of the teeth of the Labyrinthodon ; and 

 having been favoured by Dr. Lloyd, since that paper was written, 

 with the loan of all the reptilian remains obtained from the new red 

 sandstone of Warwick and Leamington, deposited in the Museums 

 of those towns, and having been liberally permitted by the Com- 

 mittees of the Institutions to examine the teeth by the microscopic 

 test, he gives, in this paper, a minutely detailed description of the 

 fragments submitted to his examination, and points out their rela- 

 tive connexion to each other, and the laws by which he has been 

 enabled to determine that they all belong to the genus Labyrin- 

 thodon, and [are] confirmatory of the Batrachian nature of the 

 Wurtemberg fossil. 



The specimens which Mr. Owen has examined are referable to 

 five species, to which he has applied the names, — 1 . Labyrinthodon 

 salamandroides, 2. L. leptognathus , 3. L. pachygnathus, 4. L. ven- 

 tricosus, and 5. L. scutulatus ; and he describes successively the cha- 

 racters exhibited by the bones assignable to the 2nd, 3rd and 5th 

 species. 



Labyrinthodon leptognathus. — The remains which Mr. Owen con- 

 siders as portions of this species, consist of fragments of the upper 

 and lower jaws, two vertebrae, and a sternum. They were found in 

 the sandstone quarries at Coton End, near Warwick. 



The portions of the upper jaw show that the maxillary or facial 

 division of the skull was broad, much depressed and flattened, re- 

 sembling the skull of the gigantic Salamander and of the Alligator ; 

 and the outer surface of the bones was strongly sculptured, as in the 

 Crocodilian family, but of a relatively larger and coarser pattern. 

 The fragment described contains the anterior moiety of the single 

 row of small teeth, or 30 sockets, and the base of one of the great 

 anterior tusks. The bases of the serial teeth project directly from 



Ann. $ Mag. N. Hist. Vol. viii. X 



