Geological Society. 267 



January 10th, 1877.— Prof. P. Martin Duncan, M.B., F.R.S., 

 President, in the Chair. 



" On gigantic Land-Tortoises and a small Freshwater Species 

 from the ossiferous caverns of Malta, together with a list of the fossil 

 Fauna, and a note on Chelonian-remaius 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 which was of gigantic proportions, and 

 equalled in size any of the living or extinct land Chelonians 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 

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

 that account, he had 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 

 Lutremi/s, not distinguishable, as far as the few remains extend, from 

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

 of various dimensions, had been obtained. These Chelonians 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 Hippopotamus, two 

 gigantic species of Mi/oxus, a gigantic Swan, and other animal-re- 

 mains, and, further, a Note on some Chelonian-i'cmaius from the 

 rock-fissures of Gibraltar. 



January 24th, 1877.— Prof. P. Martin Duncan, M.B., F.R.S., 

 President, in the Chair. 



" On British Cretaceous Patelloid Gasteropoda," By John Starkie 

 Gardner, Esq., F.G.S. 



In this paper the ai;thor commenced by a general statement as to 

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

 to the families Patellidas, Fissurellida), Calyptrasidas, and Capulidse. 

 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 series, and one as new to the Cretaceous 

 in England. The new species were Acmcea formosa and plana, 

 Helcion Meijeri, Anisomyon vectis, Scurria calyptrceiformis and 

 depressa, Emarginula pancturella, divisiensis, andstra, Meyeri, and 

 untcostata, Puncturella antiqua, Calyptrcea concentrica, (Jrepidula 

 chamceformis, Crucibtdum t/iyanteum, Pileopsis neocomiensis, dubius, 

 and Seeleyi, and Hlppouy.r Dixoni. Most of the Patellidse were 

 from the Ncocomian, and the majority of the Fissurellidae from the 

 Upper Grcensand : the species of tlie other two families were scat- 



