Miscellaneous, 143 



DyCISCiEXilL^^IsrEOTJS. 



Head of Pliosaxjeus. 



There liave recently been added to tlie PalEeontological Collection 

 of the British Museum the most interesting remains yet discovered 

 of Pliosaurus. These consist of a nearly perfect skull, with the 

 lower jaw of the same individual, which are but slightly altered 

 by compression or distortion from their normal form. The skull 

 measures nearly five feet in length, from the end of the muzzle to 

 the occipital condyles. The basi-occipital, palatal, and maxillary 

 bones being very perfect, and their divisions well marked. The 

 rami of the lower jaw are each upwards of five feet in length from 

 the anterior end of the symphysis to the Articulating condyles, one 

 ramus being more perfect than the other ; in each ramus and on one 

 side of the upper jaw, the entire series of the alveoli is preserved. 

 Some of these contain incipient teeth, but the whole of the perfect 

 teeth have been lost. 



These fine fossils will be figured and described by Professor 

 Owen in an early volume of the Palseontographical Society's 

 Monographs. 



The public is indebted to the liberality of J. C. Mansel, Esq., 

 F.G.S., of Longthorns, Blandford, Dorset, for these very desirable 

 acquisitions to the National Collection. Mr. Mansel had on a 

 former occasion presented to the Museum the fine typical tooth (12 

 inches long) of Pliosaurus grandis, Otven. to which species, pro- 

 bably, this head may belong. They are both from the same deposit 

 and locality, the Kimmeridge Clay of Dorsetshire. In addition to 

 the above-mentioned specimen Mr. Mansel has since presented 

 another equally fine lower jaw, with part of the cranium of the 

 same individual, which Professor Owen has determined to be a new 

 species, having very distinct characters from the preceding. — W.D. 



Minerals of Lake Stjpekiok. — Professor Chapman, Ph.D., notices 

 in the "Canadian Journal" for November, 1865, the discovery of 

 native lead near Dog Lake. It occurs in the form of a small string in 

 white semi-opaque quartz. The quartz contains no other substances 

 with the exception of a small quantity of specular ii'on ore ; the 

 absence of gold is noteworthy, as in the European localities where 

 native lead has been found it is generally accompanied with gold. 

 He also records the occurrence of G-alena, Marcasite, Molybdenite, 

 Barytine or Heavy Spar, Fluor Spar, and Anthracite, in the vicinity 

 of Lake Superior. 



New Coknish Minerals. — Prof. Maskelyne announces the occui'- 

 rence of an opal allophane in Cornwall. The specimen was for- 

 warded to him by Mr. Tailing, of Lostwithiel. It is a hydrated 

 aluminic silicate, of a greenish-blue colour, and closely resembles 

 the allophane from Saltzburg. Mr. Tailing has also obtained a 



