7^ 



VESTIGES OF THE 



Germany. Its place, above the red sandstone, shows 

 tlie recurrence of circumstances favourable to animal 

 life, and wo accordingly find in it not only zoophytes, 

 conchifeia, and a few tribes of fish, but some faint traces 

 of land plants, and a new and startling appearance — a 

 reptile of sauiian (lizard) character, analagous to the now 

 existing family called monitors. Eemains of this crea- 

 ture are found in cupriferous (copper-bearing) slate con- 

 nected with the mountain limestone, at Mansfield and 

 Glucksbrunn, which may be taken as evidence that dry 

 land existed in that age near those places. The mag- 

 nesian limestone is also remarkable as the last rock in 

 which appears the leptrena, or product a, a conchifer of 

 numerous species which makes a conspicuous appearance 

 in all previous seas. It is likewise to be observed, that 

 the fishes of this age, to the genera of which the names 

 palcToniscus, catopterus, platysomus, &c., have been 

 applied, vanish, and henceforth appear no more. 



The third group, chiefly sandstones, variously coloured 

 according to the amount and nature of the metallic 

 oxide infused into them, shows a recurrence of agita- 

 tion, and a consequent diminution of the amount of 

 animal life. In the upper part, however, of this group, 

 there are abundant symptoms of a revival of proper 

 conditions for such life. There are marl beds, the 

 origin of which substance in decomposed shells is ob- 

 vious ; and in Germany, though not in England, here 

 occurs the muschelkalk, containing numerous organic 

 remains (generally difierent from those of the mag- 

 nesian limestone), and noted for the specimens of land 

 animals, which it is the first to present in any consider- 

 able abundance to our notice. 



These animals are of the vertebrate sub-kingdom, 

 but of its lowest class next after fishes — namely, rep- 



