143 



turelle de la Basse Allemagne, PL iv. This fossil was figured by Langius, 

 Hist. Lap. Fig. Helv. PL 21, Fig. 4; and the figure of Langius has 

 been copied by Bourguet, Traite des Petrifications, Fig. 316. 



Both the specimens of this fossil, discovered by Baron de Hupsch and 

 by Faujas St. Fond, are merely casts of the chambers of the shell, Spon- 

 dylolithes ; and such also is the specimen which I have also had the good 

 fortune to obtain from Maestricht, and which is represented Plate IX. 

 Fig. 2. This fossil, it may be observed, approaches nearer in size to 

 that of Langius, than to that figured in Faujas St. Fond's elegant work. 

 I must here remark, that the absence of a siphuncle, assumed by La- 

 marck, cannot be proved from the mere casts of the chambers, which is 

 the only state in which we have yet seen this fossil. 



It is about five years since I first met with the fossil represented 

 Plate X. Fig. 1, with some others, at the shop of Mr. Heslop, who 

 had received them from the coast, not far from Dover. Since that 

 time I have been favoured, by my friend Mr. Herbert, with other spe- 

 cimens, from the same coast, on some of which are remains of the ori- 

 ginal pearly part of the shell. From a comparison of these fossils with 

 the baculites of Lamarck, it appears that the chief difference is, that the 

 septa of the baculites are disposed in a straight transverse direction, whilst 

 in these fossils they are placed in an oblique transverse direction. Among 

 these fossils were some which were slightly bent at their smaller end, as 

 at Plate X. Fig. 2 ; and others so much so, as to show that this was their 

 natural form, and not the effect of accident. 



For fossils bearing a character so completely distinct, the necessity of 

 forming a new genus seemed to be obvious, and analogy appeared to 

 support the arrangement. As there is a genus (Orthocera) of straight 

 multilocular shells, with plain septa; so there appears to be a corres- 

 ponding genus of straight multilocular shells with sinuous septa, forming 

 the genus Baculites. And as there are two more genera in those shells 

 with plain septa, one spiral (Nautilus), and another partly straight and 



