Scientific Memoranda. 335 



mutations, retain characters proper to the functions of their pre- 

 vious state. Thus the adult frog has a head, with a depressed 

 and semi-elliptical form. The reason is, that the tadpole, which 

 breathes through gills as fishes do, has its voluminous gills under 

 the back cranium ; and as the bones of the auricular region 

 cover these extended gills, their developement is in proportion to 

 the volume of the gills.— Geo/roj/ St. Hilaire. 



Pterodactylus Crassirostris.—The genus Pterodactylus until now 

 only comprehended four species; the P. longirosiris, brevirostris, 

 medius, and Macronyx of Buckland. Dr. Goldfuss has added a 

 fifth, which he calls P. Crassirostris, and which has been disco- 

 vered by Count Munster in the Lithographic Limestone of Bait- 

 ing in Bavaria. The author has added to it the description of a 

 new Ornithocephalus, 0. Munsteri, and of a new Lacerta, L. 

 JVeptunia, in the same rock at Monheim. He describes and 

 figures also some curious fossils, from the Dusodil of Stoschen 

 near Lintz, of Friesdorf, of Orsberg near Erpel, and of Rott near 

 Geistingen. Two species of fish from thence, have been for 

 some time known, to the smallest of which M. Bronn gave the 

 name of Cyprinus Carbonarius. There are besides insects of the 

 genus, lucaniis, meloe, dytiscus, buprestis, cantharis, cerambyx, pa- 

 randra, belostroma, cercopis, locusta, anthrax, and tabanus. M. 

 Bronn has also remarked a small crab. The new species de- 

 scribed by M. Goldfuss, are Rana dilnviana, Salamandra Ogygia, 

 Triton noachicus, Ophius dubius. — Journal de Geologic. 



A Golden-green Light Reflected from Moss.— A. correspondent 

 of Mr. Loudon's, W. C. T. states, " When making a tour in Corn- 

 wall, 1 was struck by a ' singularly brilliant golden-green light,' 

 similar to that desciibed in your Magazine (vol. ii. p. 406.) On 

 looking into a small cavern by the roadside, near Penryn, I ob- 

 served in its recesses a small moss (apparently minute plants of 

 Dicranum taxifolium,) which, when seen in some particular posi- 

 tions, appeared of a most beautiful emerald green colour, with a 

 phosphorescent brilliancy." In De Luc's Geological Travels, vol. 

 iii. p. 131, is the following account of a similar phenomenon: 

 " Passing by Botter Rock, Mr. Hill led me to a part of the foot 

 of that Tor, where there are hollows like small caverns ; and in 

 these he showed me a vegetable phenomenon, which I had never 



