Drake : AstcyacniUhus in the Yoyk^hiyt\Conibrash. 141 



minutely mottled with l)i\)\vn and mauve, while the third has 

 largci- blotches of mauve and darker brown. The larger 

 cuckoo's egg resembles this latter Pipit's egg, while the smaller 

 one is more like the two former eggs. On blowing the set no 

 further doul)t remained as to their identity, as the shells of the 

 cuckoo's eggs were thicker and more sohd, and the contents 

 were slightly set, having some streaks of blood in the yolk, 

 the Pipit's eggs being quite fresh. This seems to indicate that 

 the eggs of the Cuckoo come to matririty sooner than those of 

 its foster parent, or that the Cuckoo partially incubates the 

 eggs before placing them in the nest of the Pipit or other bird. 

 It would have been interesting to have left the nest alone, but 

 it was so near the main road that I thought I might lose this 

 interesting hnd altogether. 



ASTERACANTHUS IN THE YORKSHIRE CORNBRASH. 



HENRY CHARLES DRAKE, F.G.S., 



During the last few months geological work in the field has been 

 rather at a disadvantage ; but one advantage of the wet weather 

 is that the rock and shale have been well washed, and the frost 

 has helped to break it up. 



In November I found a tooth shining out in the well-washed 



Asteracanthus in Yorkshire Cornbrash 



shale, and in January of this year I found another, which I 

 certainly should not have seen but for the rain. I submitted 

 these teeth to Dr. A. Smith Woodw^ard, who pronounced them 

 what I thought them to be, namely [Steophodus) Asteracanthus. 

 The first remains of this Jurassic shark in Yorkshire was 

 described by Platnauer in Yorkshire Phil. Society Transaction 

 1886, and afterwards by Prof. Blake in his Memoir on the 

 Cornbrash (Pal. Soc, 1905). 



if)io Apl. I. 



