106 MIOCENE FAUNA. 



crocodiles' teetli are found, which were discovered near Corban ; 

 and there is a singular deficiency of fishes. Hitherto the prin- 

 cipal remains discovered are those of cartilaginous fish, such as 

 Chimseroids, rays, and sharks. The last must have been very 

 abundant, as their teeth occur everywhere in the Shell- sandstone, 

 and here and there in great quantities. These teeth are smooth, 

 shining, compressed, flat in front, slightly convex behind, pointed 

 at the apex, and with both edges sharp; and they have, on 

 account of their form, received the popular names of " stone- 

 tongues" and "birds' beaks/' Fourteen species from the 

 Molasse have been distinguished, two of which have been already 

 referred to (vol. ii. p. 89), the Cacharodon megalodon and Lamna 

 cuspidata, the latter having been of most frequent occurrence. 

 To these genera six more species may be added, such as Carcha- 

 rodon polygyrus, C. Escheri, and Lamna contortidens and dubia ; 

 and the Shell-sandstone has furnished the teeth of several species 

 of Oxyrhina, Notidanus, Hemipristis, and Galeocerdo (Oxyrhina 

 leptodon, O. hastalis, 0. Desorii, Notidanus primigenius, Hemi- 

 pristis serra, Galeocerdo aduncus, and G. minor). The family 

 of the Chimaeroids possesses one species (Ischyodon helveticus, 

 Eg.), which has been discovered on the Bucheckberg; and of 

 the rays two forms (Zygobates Studeri, Ag., and Mtobates arcu- 

 atuSj Ag.) occur in the Shell-sandstone of the Canton of Aar- 

 govia. The whole of these Molassic fishes are extinct; but, 

 with the exception of the Hemipristis, they belong to genera 

 which possess similar species now living in the European and 

 tropical seas. 



The few osseous fishes which have as yet been furnished by 

 the marine Molasse belong to the Gymnodontes and the Labroi- 

 dei. A Diodon and a Labrus (L. Ibbetsoni, Ag.) have been found ; 

 the former probably had the body closely set with spines, and 

 the latter was probably adorned with varied colours. 



Three species of Cetacea visited or inhabited the Swiss Molassic 

 region. The bones of a manati (Halitherium Studeri, Myr.) have 

 been discovered on the Lindenbiihl, on the Eanden, and in the 

 Shell-sandstone of the Canton of Aargovia. It is so nearly allied 

 to the Tongrian species already mentioned (vol. ii. p. 89) that 

 the two ought perhaps to be regarded as united. In the Shell - 

 sandstone of Othmarsingen and Zofingen the long beak-like 



