THE MAGAZINE 



OF 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



MAY, 1837. 



ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 



Art. I. Notice of the Teeth of Carchurias megdlodon occurring 

 in the Red Crag of Suffolk. By Edward Charlesworth, 

 F.G.S. 



There are, perhaps, no fossiliferous beds, the history of 

 which, at the present time, involves points of greater interest, 

 than the tertiary formations bordering our eastern coast; and 

 in noticing several of the more remarkable fossils from these 

 deposits, and the conditions under which they occur, it is 

 with the hope of imparting some information respecting them, 

 which may facilitate the researches of others who may feel 

 disposed to enter upon the same field of geological investi- 

 gation. 



Palaeontologists will readily recognise in the annexed figure 

 a well-known Maltese fossil, and, perhaps, feel some surprise 

 at the announcement of its occurrence in this country. 

 Within the last few years, however, many specimens of 

 these extraordinary teeth, belonging to a species of the 

 genus Carcharias, probably of gigantic size, have been found 

 on the shore and in the red crag of Suffolk. No other 

 portion of the skeleton has yet been observed, by which we 

 might ascertain how far the general dimensions of the animal 

 correspond to the proportions exhibited by the teeth ; nor is 

 it probable that future discoveries in the crag will throw any 

 light upon this point, since the preservation of the dental 

 structures is the only record of the presence of cartilaginous 

 fish during the formation of that deposit. 7^he remains of 

 fish, and of chelonian and saurian reptiles, which are often 

 found in a very complete state in the tertiary strata of Har- 

 wich and the Isle of Sheppey, usually owe their preservation 

 to the nodules of indurated clay which have formed around 

 them. Nothing at all analogous to these nodules occurs in 



Vol. I. — No. 5. n. s. s 



