Geological Socicii/. 387 



constant at its junction with syenite, than with greenstone or trap; 

 in the latter case it sometimes varies, sometimes not, — a circumstance 

 difficult to account for. 



The hyperstene rock seldom adjoins the lias ; when it does, like 

 greenstone or trap, it both intersects and covers it. 



Although the authors make a distinction between the rocks of 

 syenite and those of trap and hyperstene, on account of their position 

 relatively to the stratified rocks, they do not ascribe to the former a 

 higher antiquity than to the latter; for the syenite must be the pro- 

 duction of a later aera than the lias, since it has materially altered it. 



Feb. Gth. — A paper was read, "On the discovery of a new species 

 of Pterodactyle ; and also of the Fasces of the Ichthyosaurus ; and of a 

 black substance resembling Sepia, or Indian Ink, in the Lias at Lyme 

 Regis ; "—by the Rev. W. Buckland, D.D. F.R.S. Professor of Mine- 

 ralogy and Geology in the University of Oxford. 



1. — This specimen of Pterodactyle was discovered, in December 

 last, by Miss Mary Anning, and was found to belong to a new species 

 of that e.xtinct genus, hitherto recognized only in the lithographic 

 Jura-limestone of Sollenhofen, — which the author considers as nearly 

 coeval with the English chalk. 



The head of this new species is wanting, but the rest of the ske- 

 leton, though dislocated, is nearly entire ; and the length of the claws 

 .so much exceeds that of the claws of the Pterodactylus-longirostris 

 and brevirostris, of which the only two known specimens are mi- 

 nutely described by Cuvier, as to show that it belongs to another 

 species, — for which the name of Pterodactylus macromjx is proposed. 

 A drawing of this fossil by Mr. Clift accompanies the paper. The 

 author had for some time past conjectured, that certain small bones 

 found in the lias at Lyme Regis, and referred to birds, belong rather 

 to the genus Pterodactyle. This conjecture is now verified. It was 

 also suggested to him, in 1823, by Mr. J. S. Miller of Bristol, that 

 the bones in the Stonesfield-slate, which have been usually con- 

 sidered as derived from birds, ought to be attributed to this extraor- 

 dinary family of flying reptiles : Dr. Buckland is now inclined to 

 adopt this opinion, and is disposed to think still further, that the co- 

 leopterous insects, whose elytra occur in the Stonesfield-slate, may 

 have formed the food of those insectivorous Pterodactyles. He con- 

 ceives also, that many of the bones from Tilgute Forest, hitherto re- 

 ferred to birds, may belong to this extinct family of anomalous reptiles : 

 and, from its presence in these various localities, he infers that the 

 genus Pterodactyle was in existence, throughout the entire period of 

 the deposition of tlie great Jura-limestone formation, from the lias to 

 the chalk ; expressing doubts as to the occurrence of any remains of 

 birds before the commencement of the tertiary strata. 



2. — Fossil Faces of the Ichlhjosaurus. — Tlie author concludes from 

 an extensive series of specimens, that the fossils, locally called Bezoar- 

 stones, that abound at Lyme, in the same beds of lias with the bones 

 of Ichthyosaurus, are the faeces of that animal. In variety of size and 

 form they resemble elongated pebbles, or kidney-potatoes, varying ge- 

 nerally from two to four inches in length, and from one to two inches 

 3 D 'J in 



