PALAEONTOLOGY OF THE LI AS. 67 



I commenced Operations on the other side, and I then found 

 it was part of the head of a fish, which I succeeded in 

 completely removing from its matrix, Clearing the roof of 

 the mouth, and luckily preserving three or four small teeth 

 in the upper jaw, which appear to have been all it had left 

 when it was covered up. The lower jaw is entirely wantiag. 



The genus of fishes most abundant is the Leptolepis. 

 They are of small size, and the specimens may be seen to 

 vary from an inch to three or four in length. In the whole, 

 I have about 100 of this genus, some of them being 

 new species. One has been described by Sir Philip 

 Egerton, in the Sixth Decade, published by the Geolo- 

 gical Society, under the name of Leptolepis concentricus. 

 There are also traces of the genera Pholodopheras and 

 Dapedium. 



The discovery of the remains of insects of several species 

 was noticed by Dr. Buckland, in his Bridg water Treatise ; 

 bat it was not then known, or even suspected, that any- 

 thing like an enlarged and correct data of the entomology 

 of a former world could ever be arrived at. And no wonder. 

 One can account for the enamelled scales and bones of 

 fishes, and the testaceous coverings of other animaLs being 

 preserved ; but how could it be supposed that au Organiza- 

 tion so delicate as is presented in the forms of some of the 

 insect world, could be preserved through ages, of the dura- 

 tion of which we can form but little conception. Nevertheless 

 such is the case. In the bed containing these fishes and 

 saurians, there are indelibly impressed the remains of insects 

 in great variety. The gaudy dragon fly, the ephemera, 

 with its short day of life, and the minuter creatures whose 

 sportive dances may be noticed in our daily walks, are there. 

 The Order Coleoptera, with theii" hard wing cases, too aboimd. 



