220 Review of * Outlines of the 
assemblage is thus noticed by the writers of the work be- 
fore us: 
“If the calcareous slate of Stonesfield be correctly assign- 
ed to this part of the series, (which is rendered sti re 
probable by the occurrence of the same teeth and palates 
in both instances,) we here find the only known instance 
in which the remains of birds and terrestrial animals have 
been found in beds of antiquity at all approaching to these; 
they here occur mingled with winged insects, amphibia, 
sea shells, and vegetables, presenting at once the most in- 
teresting and difficult of problems connected with the dis- 
tribution of organic remains.”—p. 207. 
“We must account for the presence of the Didelphys, 
birds, and coleopterous insects, in the same manner as we 
do for the wood and remains of land vegetables, not unfre- 
quent in the strata: the amphibia may have belonged to 
species principally marine. It is evident from peculiarities 
in their structure, that many of the fossil animals, generally 
_ resembling the amphibia, lived entirely or almost so in the 
sea, and were to the now existing amphibia what the ceta- 
this formation are nearly horizontal, and the organic re- 
mains unusualy interesting. More vertebral animals are 
imbe in it, than in any other English formation, 
excepting the Stonesfield slate. Among these, are two re- 
mains of extinct genera of marine Lacerte, whose osteology 
presents new and interesting links in the chain of animated 
nature. Two or three species of a singular animal, denom- 
inated fchthyosaurus, or fish-like lacerta, and of anothet 
peculiar genus, called Plesiosaurus, are found: in the lias 
It furnishes aiso the Turtle, several species of fish, one oF 
two Crustacea, several Moilusce, numerous Testacea, 
pcs A Encrini, Pentacrini, Corals, fossil wood, ferns, 
- Ht may be doubted whether the Oolites and lias series 0c* 
cur in North America. ‘ 
