294 



PICTURESQUE SKETCHES 



interesting zoological facts developed, although on the 

 whole the natural history of the period in question 

 manifestly combines the more ancient character of the 

 older strata with the recent zoology and botany of 

 the same countries at present. Without at all dwell- 

 ing on the subject of the fossil shells and other Inver- 

 tebrata of the period, a group of some characteristic 

 forms is given to mark the gradual and peculiar ap- 

 proximation to the existing fauna. 



130 129 128 



127 



MIDDLE TERTIARY SHELLS. 



In beds of the middle or newer part of the tertiary 

 epoch, there are also occasionally found numerous 

 remains of reptiles, but these are chiefly confined 

 to forms more or less resembling those of existing 

 nature. Amongst them, however, may be mentioned 

 a gigantic salamander, once thought to be the re- 

 mains of some human skeleton, and numerous turtles 

 and tortoises exhibiting marked peculiarities of struc- 

 ture. The beds at Oeningen, in Switzerland, near to 

 the Lake of Constance, offer a rich variety of such 

 forms, and include, also, many very interesting species 



* 125, Venus. 126, Pecten. 127, Auricula. 128, Turritella. 

 129, Mitra. 130, Conus. 



