125 



GEOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS. 



Fossil Cams of the size of the Fox. — Only one species of canis has yet 

 been met with in a fossil state, which appears decidedly distinct from all 

 living species. Among the bones of the mastodon, rhinoceros, and the 

 gigantic tapir, found at Avaray, near Beaujency, M. Cuvier recognized two 

 teeth which had belonged to an animal of the genus canis, twice as large as 

 the wolf, the largest of the genus now known to exist. These are the only 

 decided evidence we yet have of the former existence of now extinct species. 



Rosenmuller, Fischer, Goldfuss, and Buckland, have described fossil 

 bones of this genus as large as the wolf, found in Germany and in England ; 

 and Cuvier has also described similar bones from the Cave of Gaylenreuth. 

 Messrs Croiset and Jobert have given plates and measurements of fossil 

 remains of a species as large as the fox, without, however, being able to 

 give any evidence that they differ from similar bones of well known species 

 now existing. There are, indeed, no specific differences in the bones of this 

 genus, if we take in the several species of animals of the same size and shape. 

 The distinguishing characteis of living species are drawn from the colour of 

 the skin, the manners, habitudes, &c. Messrs Croiset and Jobert, therefore, 

 conclude in the following terms: — " There, then, is another fossil animal, 

 which it is impossible to distinguish from its congeners of the present epoch. 

 But it is proper to remark, that osteological characters do not furnish of 

 themselves sufficient data for separating living species, which are, neverthe- 

 less, very distinct ; and that thus there might be as great a difference between 

 this ancient fox and the existing species, as are found to obtain at present 

 between well characterized species : between the common fox, for example, 

 and the black fox of America, or even the jackal of India." 



On hypothetical reasoning such as this, it is obvious, that little dependence 

 is to be placed in estimating the value of a theory, which professes to account 

 for remarkable appearances on the earth's surface ; and we must carefully 

 discriminate evidence, before we give implicit sanction to any theory, how- 

 ever ingenious or generally received. 



Coprolites Mons. Boue has found, in the black bituminous limestone 



of the inferior deposits of the Jura limestone, at Seefeld, in the Tyrolese 

 Alps, coprolites, having a striking resemblance to Prof. Buckland's figures 

 in the Geological Transactions. They are in the same bed with the fishes 

 and marine plants. — Journ. de Geoloyie, ii. 107. This locality seems to 

 correspond with that of Clifton, near Bristol, the only place where he had 

 met with them in formations older than the Lias. 



Amber beneath Transition Limestone Messrs Engelhart and Ulprecht 



of Dorpat have found, under the limestone of Esthonia, which contains 

 trilobites and orthoceratites, a sandstone, which, besides oxide of iron, 

 contains grains of a mineral which they consider to be amber. — Journ. de 

 Geol. iii. 392. This is probably not real amber, but a true mineral 

 deposit, resembling the variety of mineral resin described by Mr Johnston. 

 — Vide infra, p. 128. 



Height of the Peak of Teneriffe. — The height of the Peak, according to 

 Captain Pearce's barometrical observations, is 12,326 feet. Its height was 

 considered by Humboldt to be 12,358 feet, the mean between his observa- 

 tions and those of De Borda and another. The hypothenusal distance, 

 from the base to the summit, was reckoned, by Captain Pearce, to be about 

 eight miles. 



Coal Formation of the United States.^- There are four distinct coal forma- 



