(revlu(ju\d Socittij. 207 



January 10th. 1M7.- -Prof. P. Martin Dmicaii, M.B.. V.\{.'6.. 

 President, in the Chair. 



•' Oil gi;,'!iiitic Land-Tortoises and a small Freshwater Sjjecies 

 from tlie ossiferous caverns of Malta, toi^cthor with a list of the fossil 

 Fauna, and a note on Chelonian-remains from the liock-cavities of 

 Gibraltar." By A. Leith Adams, Esq., M.B., F.R.S., F.G.S. 



The author described three extinct species of Tortoises from the 

 Maltese rock-cavities, one of whicli was of gigantic proportions, and 

 equalled in size any of the living or extinct land Cheloniaus from 

 the Indian or Pacific islands. The characteristic peculiarity in the 

 two larger species is a greater robustness of the long bones as com- 

 pared with the denizens of the Mascarene and Galapagos islands 

 with which he had been enabled to contrast them. The largest, on 

 that account, he liad named T. rohusta ; it rivalled the gigantic 

 Testudo ephippium (Giinther) in size, showing affinities to it in a 

 few minor characters. A smaller species, T. Sprattii^ and a small 

 Lutft)iii/s, not distinguishable, as far as the few remains extend, from 

 the recent L. europcea, besides many fragments of shields of tortoises 

 of various dimensions, had been obtained. These Cheloniaus were 

 found in conjunction with the remains of the dwarf Elephants and 

 other members of the remarkable fauna collected by Admiral Spratt 

 and the author in the ossiferous rock-cavities of Zebbug, Mnaidra, 

 Benghisa, &c. The paper contained a list of the animal-remains 

 hitherto recorded from the Maltese fissure caverns, including three 

 species of dwarf Elephants, two species of Hippoitotamus, two 

 gigantic species of Mt/o.vus, a gigantic Swan, and other animal-re- 

 mains, and, further, a Xote on some Chelonian-rcraaius from the 

 rock-fissures of Gibraltar. 



January 24th, 1877.— Prof. P. Martin Duncan, M.E., F.K.S., 

 President, in the Chair. 



" On British Cretaceous Patclloid Gasteropoda." By John Starkie 

 Gardner, Esq., F.G.S. 



In this paper the author commenced by a general statement as to 

 the classification of the forms to be described in it, which he referred 

 to the families Patellidie, Fissurellida?, Calyptraeidic, and Capulidte. 

 He noticed 30 species, which are mostly of rare occurrence ; and 

 19 of these were described as new. Four genera were indicated as 

 new to the Cretaceous scries, and one as new to the Cretaceous 

 in England. The new species were Acmcea formosa and 2)Iana, 

 J/elcion JUei/eri, Anisomi/on vectist, Sntrria cahiptrcfiformis and 

 depressa^ Eniair/inula ^>»>u•^'r^//rt, divisiensis, ancistra, Mf'/eri, and 

 tinicostatn, Pumturdla aiiti'/ua, Cidijptrcea coua'ntrica, C'lrpi/fnla 

 chamfffonnis, Ciiicihnhint ijiijanteuin, Pileupsis yieuaDniensis, dubius, 

 and Seeleifi, and Hipjioiti/.v iJiruni. Most of the Patcllidaj were 

 from the Neocomian, and the majority of the Fissurellida; from the 

 l-ppcr Grocnsand : the sjiecies of the other two families wore scat- 



