Zoology. 379 



sil bones in caverns of calcareous strata, in the neighbourhood of Lunel- 

 Vieil, near Montpellier. The bones found in the Kirkdale caves, have 

 occasioned a good deal of speculation among the English geologists, and 

 the proposition of theories to account for their appearance ; and the pre- 

 sent discovery is likely to add a few more to the number- M. de Ser- 

 res has, besides bones of herbivorous and carnivorous animals, found some 

 not hitherto met with in a fossil state, viz. the bones of the camel. 



Among the carnivorous animals he places, in the first rank, lions and 

 tigers, much superior in size and strength to the present living species,— 

 animals whose canine teeth are about 16 centimetres in length, and 39 

 millimetres in breadth. Along with these enormous bones are found 

 others approaching to the species of lions and tigers now existing ; and 

 with them are mixed bones of hyaenas, panthers, wolves, foxes, and 

 bears, (differing but little from the badger,) and of dogs. Mixed with 

 these bones of carnivorous animals, are found great quantities of the bones 

 of herbivorous quadrupeds, among which the discoverer met with several 

 species of hippopotamus, wild boars of large size, peccaris, horses, camels, 

 many species of stag, elk-deer, roebuck, sheep, oxen, and lastly, several 

 species of rabbits and rats. 



What renders this circumstance more remarkable is, that the bones of 

 the animals thus buried, (which are sometimes in such quantities that 

 the caverns of Lunel-vieil resemble cemeteries,) seem to have no connec- 

 tion with the habits of the animals to which they have belonged. By the 

 side of an entire or broken jaw of a carnivorous animal, is often found the 

 bones of herbivorous races, and all are so mixed, that it is rare to meet 

 with two entire bones which have belonged to the same animal, or at least 

 to animals of the same genus. 



These fossil bones are thus disseminated in these caverns without or- 

 der, and never entire ; and as they are found in the middle of alluvial 

 land which contains a great quantity of rounded pebbles, it may be sup- 

 posed that they have been transported thither by water. These bones all 

 contain animal matter, and what is singular enough, the earth where 

 they are found, contains more animal matter than the bones themselves, 

 when it lias not been cleaned from the bony fragments which are contain- 

 ed in it.— Bull, des Sciences, Nat. 1826, No. 9. p. 81. 



10. Crocodiles of Egypt. — In the sitting of the Academy of Sciences of the 

 6th February, M. Geoffrey- Sain t-Hilaire presented from M. Caillaud a mum- 

 my crocodile, 7 feet 1 inch in length, in a state of perfect preservation, 

 lie had formerly maintained, in opposition to the opinion of M. Cuvier, 

 th:it there were two species of Kgypiian crocodile — one, a sacred animal — 

 mild, and of smaller size, the other the well-known crocodile of the Nile ; 

 while M. Cuvier was rather inclined to suppose that the second species 

 was the crocodile of St Domingo. The inspection of this mummy seems 

 to have decided the question. This second species differs from the other 

 chiefly in the structure of the head, the jaws being more lengthened, and 

 indicating a creature of less strength. It was known among the ancients 

 by the name of Suchus. A live individual of this species was exhibited at 

 Paris in 1823.— Lc Globe, No. 22, Feb. 1826. 



