408 Mr. Weaver on Floetz Formations. . [Dec. 



Remains of fish, and ribs, vertebrae, bones, and teeth of 

 unknown quadrupeds,* are less common. In several parts of 

 Thuringia, however, a marly limestone, of a thick slaty texture, 

 is found immediately above the upper gypsum, containing nume- 

 rous petrified bones, closely imbedded in the mass; beside teeth 

 of fishes, large smooth terebratulites, echinites, and pieces of 

 wood coal.f These bones are sometimes converted into an 

 opaline mass, while the cavities are lined with crystals of quartz. 

 Large rib and blade bones have also been met with, the true 

 character of which has not been ascertained. Fragments of 

 bones occur singly in most of the strata of the shell limestone. 

 And numerous teeth of fishes, of various sizes, and of different 

 species, occur also in the shell limestone of Thuringia, beside 

 single scales, bones, and vertebrae, offish. 



According to M. Blumenbach an undoubted omitholite has 

 been found in the shell limestone of the Heinberg, near Gbt- 

 tingen^ 



Entrochites generally appear in the lowest strata of the shell 

 limestone, closely crowded together in limestone resembling 

 hornstone, and which is mostly composed of the fragments of 

 encrinites. Sometimes whole families of encrinites are thus 

 found in the same vicinity, and partly in a good state of preser- 

 vation. 



Belemnites, gryphites, buccardites, venulites, and a peculiar 

 species of pentacrinite, are confined to particular districts. 



Echinites, spines of echinites, dentalites, patellites, trochilites, 

 and striated terebratulites, are very rare. 



But other well preserved terebratulites, ostracites, buccinites, 

 pectinites, strombites, turbinites, chamites, ammonites, myti- 

 ■lites, myacites, &c. are endless, beside whole strata composed of 

 the fragments of shells, which are no longer recognizable. 

 Discites and asteriacites are more rare. Beside these, there 

 have been observed also trigonellites, donacites, nautilites, telli- 

 nites, and pectunculites. 



Baron von Schlotheim has observed also serpulites, helicites, 

 neritites, conilites, solenites, and lepadites.§ 



Some of the bivalve and univalve shells still preserve their 

 natural nacrous lustre, and in particular the terebratulites; others 

 are converted into compact limestone or calcareous spar, or into 



* Probably allied to the EnaVio-Sauri order of animals, to the monitor, or to croco- 

 diles, of which, as occurring in the lias, oolite, green sand, and chalk series of England, 

 an admirable account has appeared, from the joint researches of M. de la Beche and the 



Rev. W. D. Conybeare, while this paper it passing through the press (See Geological 



Trans, vol. v. part ii.) 



+ An analogous bone bed is found in the lower part of the lias limestone, near 

 Wickwar, and in Westbury and Aust cliffs, on the banks of the Severn, Gloucester- 

 shire ; so also on the Somersetshire coast, near Watchet. 



\ Remains of birds are stated by Mr. Greenough to have occurred in die Stonestield 

 date of the oolite series in England. — (See Geol. Essays, p. 300.) 



§ Petrefactenkunde. 



