Geology. 267 



a MS. volume presented to the Geological Society in 1816. Among 

 numerous references to Miss Benett by Mantell, we read that "An 

 elegant Memoir on the Wiltshire Fossils, by this accomplished lady, 

 appears in Sir R. C. Hoare's ' Wiltshire ' " (" Medals of Creation," 1844,. 

 i. p. 260). 



Several donations of Wiltshire fossils were made by Miss Benett 

 between 1816 and 1830. In 1831, she presented "a fine specimen of a 

 new species of Pentacrinus from Farleigh, near Bath," and in 1841 some 

 crinoids and other fossils from the Carboniferous Limestone, all the latter 

 with a small printed label, " Whatley, nr. Frome, Somerset." Finally, in 

 1893, 112 Eocene sheUs from Grignon, collected by Miss Benett in 1822, 

 were presented by Mr. J. Benett Stanford. Other museums that profited 

 by Miss Benett's liberality were those of Bristol and of the Geological 

 Society. Many of her specimens were figured in Sowerby's "Mineral 

 Conchology," but are now lost sight of. It appears that, on her death, 

 the most valuable of the specimens remaining in her collection were 

 purchased by Thomas Wilson of Newark, Delaware, U.S.A., to be 

 incorporated in a very extensive collection in all branches of natural 

 history that he was forming at Philadelphia (London Geol. Journ., 

 part 2, p. ii. of wrapper). This collection is now in the possession of the 

 Philadelphia Academy. 



Bennett (GEORGE) [1804-1893] 



While in medical practice in Sydney from 1836 until his retirement, 

 Bennett employed his leisure in natural history researches. He collected 

 the fossil bones from the river deposits of New South Wales and Queens- 

 land, and, from 1872 onwards, sent numerous donations to the British 

 Museum for description by Owen. Most of these remains were referable 

 to marsupials, but there were also some vertebras of the gigantic lizard,. 

 Megalania prisca. Mr. G. F. Bennett, his son, also collected similar 

 bones, and in 1880 he transmitted to the Museum the original skull and 

 tail-sheath of the horned tortoise, Miolania oweni. 



Bennett (G. F.) 



See BENNETT, GEOKGE. 



Bennie (JAMES) [1821-1901] 



As fossil-collector to the Geological Survey of Scotland, Bennie 

 discovered several interesting species, and his name was associated with 

 the blastoids Phxnoschisma benniei and Astrocrinus (i.e., Zygocrinus) 

 lenniei, of which he presented 27 specimens to the Museum in 1886. 

 In 1888 he presented 9 microscope-slides of sponge-spicules from the 

 Carboniferous of Ayrshire, many of which had been figured by Dr. G. J. 

 Hinde in his Monograph of British Fossil Sponges (Palasontogr. Soc., 

 1887-88). 



Bensted (W. H.) 



Presented Cretaceous plant-remains from Maidstone, 1839. 



Berendt (GEORG CARL) 



Amber containing insects and plant-remains, purchased 1847. 



Bigsby (JOHN JEREMIAH) [1792-1881] 



In early life, Bigsby, who is best known as author of the " Thesaurus 

 Siluricus" (1868) and "Thesaurus Devonico-Carboniferus " (1878), 



