found in the Vicinity of Manchester. 353 



of the Beeston seam : this has since been examined by M. 

 Agassiz, who pronounced it to be a portion of the large tuber- 

 cuiated scale of some species offish. 



In the main limestone at Ardwick was found a specimen so 

 exactly resembling the one from Leeds, that the drawing 

 would almost serve for a representation of either. The only 

 difference I am able to perceive is, that the marginal portion, 

 which in the Leeds specimen is smooth, in ours is slightly tu- 

 berculated. It is also of an irony colour, whilst the other is 

 described as being of a bright glossy black. The specimen was 

 presented to the Society by Mr. Francis Mellor, the director 

 of the Ardwick lime-works. 



In one very thin seam passing through the black bass, the 

 position of which is generally marked by a line of pyrites, are 

 found remains of a small species of fish, much crushed, the 

 fragments being all detached. 



Of the scales I possess several forms : they are generally 

 small, rhomboidal, and of a bright glossy black, often corru- 

 gated on the surface. Others are arrow-shaped, about one 

 third of an inch long, having a depressed sulcus passing along 

 the centre especially at the broad extremity, and irregular striae 

 towards the apex. A third form, very thin, irregular in size, and 

 marked with dots and undulating lines, I at first mistook forpa- 

 lates, but on comparing them with a specimen of a Palaeoniscus 

 from the copper slate of Eisleben, I was enabled to determine 

 to what portion of the fish each scale belonged : the thin un- 

 dulated ones are portions of the reticulated covering of the 

 head ; the rhomboidal, some smooth and some corrugated, 

 belong to the body ; and the larger arrow-shaped ones have 

 formed a single line along the dorsal ridge, from near the 

 dorsal fin to the insertion of the tail. I cannot venture to say 

 that they are of the same identical species, but they certainly 

 approach very near in their characters. 



In one instance I found part of a small jaw-bone of some 

 species of fish, which may have some connexion with the scales 

 above described: it is about ^rd of an inch in length, and is 

 furnished with a regular row of obtuse, glossy black teeth, 

 eleven or twelve in number, and about yj^th of an inch in 

 length. It is from the black bass. 



The same fruitful seam contains strong bony rays, similar 

 to what we often find supporting the large dorsal fins of many 

 species of fish. They are generally depressed, although we 

 occasionally meet with them in their original rounded form. 

 I have one specimen 2,} inches in length, but wliich must have 

 been considerably longer. 



The most singular fossil I have yet met with is a specimen 

 Third Series. Vol, 9. No. S.'J. iVw. 1836. 2T 



