Nov. 18, 1869] 
NATURE 
gt 
purely Australian point of view, the same age would be assigned 
to them.—Mr. Seeley agreed with Mr. Dawkins, and argued from 
the existence of natural groups in different areas of the globe, 
that the same must have been the case in former ages.—Mr. R. 
Tate remarked that if Mr. Moore had compared the Jurassic 
fauna with those of India, Africa, and Chili, he would have 
found the same mixture of forms belonging apparently to dif- 
ferent horizons. He considered that the Australian fossils pro- 
bably represented our Middle Oolite. He did not quite agree 
with the author as to some of the specific determinations.— Dr. 
Duncan remarked that the same combination of forms separated 
in Europe was found in the Tertiary fossils of Australia. He 
thought that further facts were necessary before forming a decided 
opinion as to the succession of beds in that continent.—The 
President remarked that when we talked of identity of fauna in 
Australia and this country, improbable as it might appear, we 
must remember that at the present time identical species, and, to 
a great extent, a similar fauna, were to be found in our seas more 
than 180° apart.—Mr. Moore, in reply, argued that it was the 
safest plan to follow the well-established standard of Europe 
even in remote parts of the world. He was inclined to refer the 
bulk of the specimens rather to the Lower than to the Middle 
Oolite, but otherwise he agreed in the main with Mr. Tate. 
“On Hypsilophodon, a new Genus of Dinosauria,”’ by Prof. 
Huxley, F.R.S., President. The author described the characters 
presented by the skull of a small Dinosaurian reptile obtained by 
the Rev. W. Fox from a Wealden bed at Cowleaze Chine in the 
Isle of Wight. One of the most striking peculiarities of this 
skull was presented by the przemaxillary bone, which seems to 
have been produced downwards and forwards into a short 
edentulous beak-like process, the outer surface of which is rugose 
and pitted. The author remarked upon the known form of the 
symphysial portion of the lower jaw in the Dinosauria, and 
indicated that its peculiar emargination was probably destined to 
receive this beak-like process of the pramaxillaries, which may 
have been covered either by fleshy lips or bya horny beak. The 
dentigerous portion of the praemaxilla bears five small conical 
teeth. The alveolar margin of the maxilla bears ten teeth, which 
are imbedded by single fangs, and apparently lodged in distinct 
alveoli. The summit of the crown, when unwom, is sharp, and 
presents no trace of the serrations characteristic of Zgwanodon, 
but it is sinuated by the terminations of the strong ridges of 
enamel which traverse the outer surface of the crown. The teeth 
thus present some resemblance to those of /gwanodon ; but the 
author regarded the two forms as perfectly distinct, and named 
the species under consideration Hypsilophodon Foxit. Of the 
lower jaw the right ramus is present, but its distal extremity is 
broken off, and its teeth are concealed. On the outer surface of 
the lower jaw the centrum of a vertebra is preserved. The author 
then referred to a fossil skeleton in the British Museum, which 
has been regarded as that of a young Zywanodon. It is from the 
same bed as the skull previously described. The author remarked 
that, in form and proportions, the vertebrae were quite different 
from those of Zewanodon, and apparently identical with those of 
his new genus, as shown by the centrum preserved with the skull ; 
the animal had at least four well-developed toes; and other 
peculiarities were indicated, which seem to prove that it was 
quite distinct from Zgvanodoz. This skeleton the author identified 
with his Hypsilophodon Foxit, and described its characters in 
detail, dwelling especially upon the peculiarities of the pelvic 
bones, which are singularly avian in their structure. 
‘‘ Further Evidence of the Affinity between the Dinosaurian 
Reptiles and Birds,” by Professor Huxley, F.R.S., President. 
In this paper the author reviewed the evidence already cited by 
himself and others (especially Prof. E. D. Cope), in favour of 
the ornithic affinities presented by the Dinosauria ; and discusses at 
length the recently ascertained facts which bear upon this ques- 
tion, some of the most important of which are derived from the 
species described by him in the preceding paper under the name 
of Hypsilophodon Foxit. We summed up his paper by a com- 
parison of the different elements of the pelvic arch and_hinder 
limb in the ordinary reptiles, the Dinosauria and Birds, and 
maintained that the structure of the pelvic bones (especially the 
form and arrangement of the ischium and pubis), the relation 
between the distal ends of the tibia and the astragalus (which 
is perfectly ornithic), and the strong cnemial crest of the tibia 
and the direction of its twist, furnish additional and important 
evidence of the affinities between the Dinosauria and Birds. 
Sir Roderick Murchison, who had taken the chair, inquired as 
to the habits of the yfsi/ophodon.— Mr. Hulke mentioned that 
Mr. Fox had several blocks containing remains of a large portion 
of the Hypsi/ophodon, all procured from a thin band of sandstone 
near Cowleaze Chine. On one the pelvis is almost entire, as well 
as the right femur, the tibia, which is longer than the femur, four 
long metatarsal bones, and an astragalus. All the long bones are 
hollow. Portions of at least eight individuals have been found 
in the same bed.—Mr. Seeley doubted whether these animals 
should be called Reptiles at all, as they seemed to him to form a 
group distinct alike from reptiles, birds, and mammals, but 
occupying an intermediate position. In the hinder limbs of 
Picrodactylus the analogies were closer with mammals than with 
birds. He thought it possible that the peculiar structure of the 
hinder limbs of the Dinosauria was due to the functions they 
performed rather than to any actual affinity with birds.—The 
President, in reply, stated that /%ypsilophodon, from the character 
of its teeth, probably subsisted on hard vegetable food. He 
expressed a hope that Mr. Fox would allow a closer examination 
of his specimens to be made. He was unable to agree with Mr. 
Seeley’s views. He/was inclined to think that the progress of 
knowledge tended rather to break down the lines of demarcation 
between groups supposed to be distinct than to authorise the 
creation of fresh divisions. 
Specimens illustrative of their respective papers were exhibited 
by C. Moore, Esq., and Prof. Huxley. 
Institution of Civil Engineers, November 9.—At the first 
ordinary general meeting of the session, held on Tuesday, the 
gth inst., Mr. Charles Hutton Gregory, the President, made 
some observations on the action taken by the council with 
reference to a notification gazetted by the Public Works Depart- 
ment of the Government of India. In this notification it was 
alleged that the Governor-General in Council was given to 
understand, that in the civil engineering profession in England 
it was a recognised practice for civil engineers employed by 
public companies and otherwise, to receive, in addition to the 
salaries paid them by their employers, commission on contracts 
given out, or stores and materials ordered or inspected by them, 
and other like pecuniary considerations for services done, or 
intended to be done, which were considered legitimate sources of 
emolument. The Council had met, and unanimously passed a 
series of resolutions, emphatically denying that such practices 
were recognised in the profession, and asserting that any engineer 
detected in such practices would be held to be guilty of disgraceful 
conduct, which would disqualify him from being a member of 
this Institution. Regret was expressed that so grave a charge 
should have been received and published by the Government of 
India without proper inquiry, as such inquiry would have shown 
that the charge was absolutely untrue ; and, having reference to 
the grievous wrong which such an imputation, stamped with such 
authority was calculated to do to an honourable profession, an 
appeal was made to the Government of India to cause the 
scandalous statement to be withdrawn. ‘This protest was trans- 
mitted to the Secretary of State for India, who had received a 
deputation from this Institution, comprising the President and 
every member of Council then in London. The Duke of Argyll 
promised to investigate the case, and has put on record that “ he 
regards with implicit confidence the indignant repudiation by the 
Institution of any recognition of the practice referred to in the 
notification.” 
Mathematical Society, November 11.—The first meeting 
of the present session was held on Thursday, the 11th inst., 
Prof. Cayley, F.R.S., President, in the chair, when the follow- 
ing gentlemen were elected to be the council for the session 
1869-70 :—President : Prof. Cayley, F.R.S. Vice-Presidents : 
A. De Morgan, F.R.A.S., W. Spottiswoode, F.R.S., Prof. 
Sylvester, F.R.S. Treasurer: Prof. Hirst, F.R.S. Hon. Sec- 
retaries: M. Jenkins, M.A., R. Tucker, M.A. Other members: 
W. K. Clifford, B.A., T. Cotterill, M.A., M. W. Crofton, 
F.R.S., Olaus M. F. E. Henrici, Ph.D., S. Roberts, M.A., 
J. Stirling, M.A., A. Smith, F.R.S. L, and E., Prof. H. J. 
S. Smith, F.R.S., and J. J. Walker, M.A. 
The Rey. James White, M.A., was elected a member. Mr. 
Tucker read a communication from Mr. G, O. Hanlon, on the 
“Vena Contracta,” and Mr. Jenkins a letter from Mr. Clerk- 
Maxwell, containing the question, ‘‘Can the potential of a 
uniform circular disk at any point be expressed by means of 
elliptic integrals? Suppose V is the potential of the disk 
bounded by the circle z=0, «2 + 32=a*, 
dV aT. 
‘Then de ar Jt A/c 
where (Se ays 
