334 Miscellaneous. 



In the upper or coralline part of the Jura, the limestone containing 

 Diceras and Nerinea has been followed, especially in 183G, as the 

 exterior covering and last layer of the Jura formation, over the whole 

 northern inclination of the Swabian Jura. This peculiar formation 

 (Portland stone) is wanting in the Franconian Jura. It commences 

 first below Hemmau, probably above the lithographic slates, forms 

 the vale declivities of the Nab and of the Laber near Regensburg, 

 the rocks of Abach and Kellhcim near Altmiihl, the hills of Neuburg 

 and Ingolstadt, and raises itself near Ulm to the greatest heights of 

 the range at Natthcim and Heidenheim. It continues over Moskirch, 

 and probably joins immediately with those layers near Solothurn 

 which have been so accurately examined by M. Hugi. Diceras and 

 Nerinete at Ingolstadt, as also the large Pinna (Trichites) granulata, 

 (Mytilus amplus,) which first occurs in abundance near Pillmansdorf, 

 between Hemmau and the Laber, give to these layers a prominent 

 character. Besides, a quantity of other shells occurring in it, as Pho- 

 ladomya donacina, Pterocera Oceani, Terebratula triloba, Isocardia ex- 

 centrica, &c, maybe regarded as fossils characteristic of it. It is not 

 quite clear whether the lithographic slate really dips under the Dice- 

 ras limestone ; perhaps they only occur together, without continu- 

 ing one beneath the other ; for the lithographic slates are proved by 

 their Pterodactylus, Libellulde, Algae and Fish, to be a littoral forma- 

 tion ; but the limestone with Diceras and Nerinece, on the other hand, 

 appear, by their gigantic shells, to be a pelasgian formation. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



FUNGI OF INDIA. 



In General Hardwicke's Drawings, now in the collection of the Bri- 

 tish Museum, there is a book containing figures of a considerable 

 number of Indian Fungi. It is curious to observe, that with only 

 one or two exceptions, such as the genus Podaxon of Fries, they all 

 very much resemble the European species, and belong to European 

 forms. — J. E. Gray. 



TRACHYPTERUS VOGMANUS. 



Prof. Reinwardt, of Copenhagen, has recently published in theTrans- 

 actions of the Danish Academy a detailed account of this curious and 

 very rare fish, which has hitherto been so imperfectly known. 



OTIS TARDA. 



Shot a few days since near Dereham, a fine specimen of that rare and 

 nearly extinct bird, the Great Bustard, Otis tarda of Linnaeus. It 

 was a female bird, in excellent plumage, and is now in the possession 

 of Mr. J. Knight, the bird preserver, of London Street, Norwich. 



