725 
In the conglomerates and sandstones, fishes have been found, 
some of which belong to the genus Palzoniscus, so characteristic 
of the Zechstein and magnesian limestones; and the Saurian bones, 
portions of which have been figured by M. Kutorga, and more per- 
fect remains of which have been described by Professor Fischer von 
Waldheim (Rhopalodon Mantellii, Fisch.), have been pronounced by 
‘Professor Owen to belong to the class of thecodont Saurians of 
that'author (See Report on Saurians to the British Association, 1841, 
p. 153). 
Certain plants of this great deposit have been figured by M. Ku- 
torga, and referred by him to-the carbonifereus epoch ; others col- 
tected by Major Wangenheim Von Qualen have been named by M. 
Fischer de Waldheim, who, as well as their discoverer, felt great dif- 
ficulty in forming any decisive opinion respecting the age of the 
strata in which these fossils occur. Having examined the localities 
and sections, the authors convinced themselves on the spot, that 
all these plants are of intermediate character between those of the 
carboniferous and triassic zras*. These vegetables of the Permian 
system, and many undescribed species of shells with which they are 
associated, will be figured in a forthcoming work on the geology 
of Russia, and for this purpose M. Fischer has kindly contributed 
some beautiful drawings of new genera and species which he had 
“prepared at Moscow. 
The publication of these new species will show that the epoch o 
the Zechstein was characterized by a flora peculiar to it. These 
fossil plants, although generally appearing to constitute an inde- 
pendent flora, offer some analogies in form to a few species belong- 
ing to the carbeniferous series : one species cannot easily be distin- 
guished from the coal-measure plant, Cal. Suckowi, which Bron- 
gniart considers to be very variable in form and to have a great 
geographical range. Among the characteristic forms may be men- 
tioned the Calamites gigas, Neuropteris Wangenheimi, N. salicifolia, 
Odontopteris Strogonovit, Sphenopteris erosa, Noeggerathia undulata, 
and some other species to be described. 
These plants are sometimes accompanied by thin courses of coal 
and lignite, which near Perm have some of the external characters 
of poor coal-fields. But while the carbonaceous appearances are 
evanescent and local, the fossil stems and leaves are very general 
indicators of the presence of copper ore, which, in the form of grey 
oxide and green carbonate, is often copiously disseminated through 
the vegetable matter, or arranged around the thicker branches in 
masses, from which it extends in fine filaments into the adjacent sands 
or marls. In all cases, the copper ores of this region occur in lamine, 
inosculating with the other regular strata, in which respect they 
differ essentially from the chief copper ores of other countries. They 
are, in fact, regenerated eres, formed, it is conceived, by cupriferous 
** Myr. Morris, who has undertaken the description of the new species 
of these plants, completely confirms the views of the authors, (See letter of 
Mr. Murchison, dated Moscow, October, 1841. Phil. Mag. vol. xix. p. 
418.) 
