io6 



Notes and Comments. 



FAKED 



FOSSIL FISH. 



■^ ' Flint'Jack,' who was well known a generation ago for the 

 successful way in which he made ' pre-historic ' implements 

 and other ' antiquities,' did not hesitate to make anything, so 

 long as he could get a market for it. Hugh Miller's ' Old Red 

 Sandstone ' was then, as now, a popular work ; but in those 

 days few who had read the book had seen the actual fossils 



"Fossil-Fish" made by "Flint Jack." 



referred to therein. ' Flint Jack,' by the aid of a file, chisel, 

 and pieces of West Riding Coal-Measure Sandstone, made fairly 

 passable ' ganoids.' One of these is figured herewith, and 

 whilst it would not pass many geologists to-day, it still has an 

 interest. 



LIASSIC PLESIOSAURS. 



We are glad to find that the hitherto neglected study of the 

 Saurian remains from our Liassic rocks is at last being taken up 

 in earnest, and with promising results. In the well-known 

 memoirs issued by the Manchester Literary and Philosophical 

 Society, Mr. D. M. S. Watson has a Preliminary Note on two 

 New Genera of Upper Liassic Plesiosaurs, and from his remarks 

 it is evident that a careful examination of the Saurian remains 

 in our museums and collections will shew that there is much 

 material awaiting proper description. In Tate and Blake's 

 ■* Yorksire Lias ' (1876) are recorded two crocodiles, eight 

 Plesiosaurs and three Ichthyosaurs. ' No other Plesiosaurs 

 have been described since.' Seven of these species are founded 

 on more or less complete skeletons, two of which Mr. Watson 

 has been unable to find. 



' SNAKESTONES.' 



Visitors to Whitby will be familiar \\'\i\\ the story of St. 

 Hilda and the way in which she caused all the snakes in our 

 island to ' curl up and die,' literally to lose their heads, roll 



Naturalist, 



