] 58 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



has ascertained that the limestone of Ardwick, usually classed with 

 the magnesian limestone, is in truth (as Dr. C. Phillips of Man- 

 chester had previously stated to him) O-part of the coal formation of 

 Lancashire. He has discovered in it the bones of a reptile, per- 

 haps the most ancient yet known in Great Britain. A vast number 

 of parts of fishes (including Megalichthys Hibberti), shells, several 

 and many plants of the ordinary coal shales have also been collected 

 by himself. Dr. Phillips, Mr, Looney, Mr. Wm. Williamson, and 

 others. Some of the results of these inquiries, which lead to im- 

 portant inferences as to the possible extension of coal works in the 

 midland counties, will be offered to the British Association at 

 Bristol, August 22, 1836. 



ehrenberg's new discovery in palaeontology: 

 tripoli composed wholly of infusorial exuvije. 



At the sitting of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Paris, 

 July 11th, the following letter was communicated, dated Berlin the 

 3rd of July, from M. Alexander Brongniart : — " I have today be- 

 come acquainted with a discovery entirely new, for which we are 

 indebted to M. Ehrenberg, and which he has demonstrated to me 

 in the clearest manner ; it is that the rocks of homogeneous appear- 

 ance which are not very hard, friable, even fissile, entirely formed 

 of silex, and which are known by the names of tripoli, more or less 

 solid {Polierschiefer of Werner,)are entirely composed of the exuviae 

 or rather of the perfectly ascertained skeletons of infusorial animals 

 of the family of the BaciLlarice and of the genera Cocconema, Gompho- 

 nema, Synedra, Gaillonella, &c. These remains having perfectly pre- 

 served the forms of the siliceous carcases of these infusoria, may be 

 seen with the greatest clearness through the microscope, and may 

 easily be compared with living species, observed and accurately 

 drawn by M. Ehrenberg. In many cases there are no appreciable 

 distinctions. 



The species are distinguished by the form, and still more surely 

 by the number of septa or transverse lines which divide their small 

 body J and M. Ehrenberg, who has been able to count them by 

 the microscope, has observed the same number of these divisions in 

 living and in fossil species. 



They are the tripolis of Bilin in Bohemia, of Santa-Fiora in Tus- 

 cany, and of other places which I do not remember with certainty, 

 (of the Isle of France and of Francisbad near Eger, if I am not mis- 

 taken,) which have given occasion to these curious observations. 

 The slimy iron ore of marshes is almost wholly composed of Gaillo- 

 nella Jerruginea. 



The greater part of these species are lacustrine, but there are also 

 some marine, particularly in the tripoli of the Isle of France. — 

 L'Institut, No. 166. 



BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE, 



The next Meeting will be held at Bristol during the week com- 

 mencing on Monday, August 22nd ; the Members of the General 

 Committee will assemble on the preceding Saturday. 



