526 Miscellaneous. 



:ycisc:EXjii.A.isr:EOTJS. 



New Caebonifeeous Eeptilb. — A new reptile lias recently been 

 found in the upper part of tlie Carboniferous series at Muse, near 

 Autun, by M. Frossard, which it is proposed to designate by the name 

 of Actinadon, from the peculiarly radiated appearance of the teeth 

 under the microscope. The skull was *156 of a metre in breadth, 

 and, from the occipital margin of the otocrane to the anterior edge of 

 the vomer, measured 482 of a metre. The lower jaw measured -190 

 of a metre ; all the teeth were perfect, and the remains showed, 

 beyond doubt, that the branchial arches were well developed. The 

 bodies of the vertebrae were incompletely ossified, with the sides 

 greatly developed. This reptile evidently bears a great resemblance 

 to the Arcliegosauriis latirostris, of Jordan, from the Coal-formation 

 Saarbruck, described by H. Von Meyer, in the Palaeontographica. 

 Besides the regular teeth seated in the arch of the jaw, the Actinadon 

 appears to have been furnished with a number of small palatine 

 teeth, which though common in many fishes, and indicated in the 

 Zygosaurus found in the Permian beds of Eussia, does not appear to 

 have been hitherto observed in any other reptile. A slab, with 

 traces of the footsteps of a reptile with four long flat toes, the ter- 

 minating phalange apparently considerably incurved, has since been 

 found at Muse, and is conjectured to indicate the footprints of the 

 Actinadon. — London Beview, Oct. 13. 



The following interesting Notice has just been published in 

 the Natural History Transactions of Northumberland and Durham. 

 Vol. I, Part 2, p. 201. 1866. 



On Siliceous Casts of Paleozoic Corals pound amongst the 

 Eeftjse of Alkali-works. By Henry B. Brady, F.L.S., &c. — 

 Some time ago my friend, Mr. Archibald Stevenson, brought to me a 

 lump of refuse picked up from the waste-heap at the Jarrow 

 Chemical Works, which was so far different from the rest in its 

 general appearance as to have excited his cviriosity. The mass had 

 certain characters which seemed to indicate an organic origin ; but 

 they were too obscure to admit of any very positive judgment with- 

 out more opportunity of comparison than this specimen afforded. 

 Further search set the matter at rest, bringing to light specimens of 

 two species of carboniferous corals. 



On making inquiry into the history of the refuse in which these 

 specimens were found, I ascertained that a quantity of " Black 

 Limestone" had been brought into the Tyne from Ireland (Co. 

 Dublin ?) as ballast, and had been taken into the chemical works as 

 material for the production of carbonic acid, but it was found to con- 

 tain so large a proportion of matter insoluble in hydrochloric acid 

 that it could not be used for the purpose. The insoluble residue 



