260 Miscellaneous. 
Azzardla, formed of limestone and marl combined with the black 
schists and lumachello, which are inferior to them. Both contain 
Avicula contorta and a special fauna, which has already been partly 
described by the author in his ‘ Paléontologie Lombarde,’ from which 
this memoir is an extract. 
In the third part, the author shows that the palzeontological study 
of the Avicula-contorta beds ranges them in the Jurassic series, and 
that they are of sufficient importance, and so clearly separated from 
the beds above and below them, to form a distinct stage, to which he 
gives the name of étage infraliasien. The synonyms of these beds 
in other countries are given by the author as follows :—the Kossen 
beds in Austria; the Bone-bed and the White Lias in England ; the 
precursor of the Lias or Cloac of Wiirtemberg; the Sandstones of 
Helmsingen and Loévelange in Luxembourg; the Sandstones of 
Hettange; the zone of Ammonites planorbis and A. angulatus of 
Oppel; the Limestone of Halberstadt ; the Limestone of Valogne ; 
the “choin bdtard”’ of Lyons; the “foie de veau”’ of Burgundy ; 
part of the Sinemurien of D’Orbigny ; the fourth stage of the Lias 
of D’Archiac; the Superior Dolomite of Lombardy, &c. The author 
gives a summary of all the classifications on this subject by means of 
a table, in which he assumes that the Infra-Liassic stage placed be- 
low the zone of Ammonites Bucklandi is composed as follows :— 
1, zone of A. angulatus; 2, zone of A. planorbis; 3, zone of Tere- 
bratula gregaria; 4, zone of Bactryllium resting on the Keuper.— 
Bibl. Univ. Jan. 20, 1862, Bull, Sci. p. 67. 
CODIUM BURSA. 
In most botanical works this plant is described as being “‘ soft and 
sponge-like :”” this only applies to its dry state. Miss Dyke Poore 
has kindly sent me two specimens growing together at the base. 
Instead of the plant being soft and sponge-like, it is hard and firm 
like a solid fruit, of a very dark olive-green colour; the surface is 
regularly granulated. The periphery of the globe is entirely formed 
of dark, transparent, clavate cells, the apices of which form the 
superficial granules, which are of a hemispherical shape. The ap- 
pearance of the living plant is very unlike the velvety frond of the 
Codium tomentosum.—J. Ii. Gray. 
CAPTURE OF DIODON PENNATUM. 
The Earl of Enniskillen, having observed a fine specimen of Diodon 
pennatum in the collection of Henry Norris, Esq., F.R.C.S., of 
Charmouth, and, on inquiry, finding that it was caught a short time 
ago on the coast near Charmouth, induced Mr. Norris to transmit 
the specimen to the Collection of British Animals in the British 
Museum. ‘This is only the second time that the fish has been ob- 
served on the coast of Britain.—J. E. Gray. 
