Essay on Geology. 99 



our provincial institutions, in London, for the purpose of being ren- 

 dered, by iiis artist, available to the illustration of his great work. It is 

 truly gratifying thus to partake in that Hberal interchange of information, 

 which binds together the men of science of every land : in no other way 

 can our institutions more effectually promote the great objects for which 

 they were called into existence. 



Our collection of the vegetable remains of our coal field is good. 

 The magnesian cimglomerate of our district was, till lately, supposed to be 

 destitute of organic remains j but the very interesting discovery of sanrian 

 bones in this formation, has now materially enriched our collection. 



In the lias fossils we are very rich ; and our illustrations of its 

 extinct saurians, (its most interesting feature) are quite complete. We 

 have two of the finest specimens of ichthyosaurus which have yet been found 

 at Lyme, 1. the L Communis, and 2. the L Tenuirostris j and we have casts 

 of the two species of plesiosaurus, which, for any purpose of information, 

 are quite as good as the originals. In the Ichthyology of the lias, we 

 have a splendid specimen of the trigonolepis ; and another species, de- 

 scribed by Dr. Riley as intermediate between squalus and raia, but pos- 

 sessing most decidedly the characters of the latter ; this M. Agassiz 

 pronounced to be unique, and one of the most interesting specimens he had 

 seen. It will be still more valued by those who know, that the institution 

 owes it to the unfailing liberality of its most zealous vice-president, 

 J. N. Sanders. Our lias shells and pentacrinites are numerous and 

 excellent. 



With reference to the oolites, our collection of specimens from the in- 

 ferior oolite of Dundry, is probably one of the best in the kingdom ; and 

 the great oolite of Ancliffe, near Bradford, has furnished us with a collec- 

 tion of minute shells, of very great interest and beauty. Our colle(,'tions 

 from the Cornbrash, Kelloway rock, coral rag, and Portland oolite, are 

 also very good. 



From the greensand, (especially from Blackdown) our collections are 

 believed to be the richest in the island. Dr. Fitton, who has long been 

 preparing a monograph on this formation, has drawn a very material por- 

 tion of his illustrations from this source. We have also a large collection 

 of alcyonia, &c. from Warminster, for which we are indebted to the science 

 and liberality of a lady, Miss Bonnet. 



The chalk is the most deficient part of our collection. Let us hope, 

 that to make known a deficiency, will be the most effectnal way of remov- 

 ing it. 



Our series of tertiary specimens is also very fair. Dr. Laird, through our 

 constant friend, the proprietor of Hampne Green, supplied us with a very 

 complete suite from the London clay of Bognor. We have been also well sup- 

 plied from the celebrated cliffs of the Hampshire coast, and from the interest- 

 ing fresh-water deposits of the Isle of Wight : from thence we have a cast of 



