134 Correspondence. 



on the Great Skellig, yet could not rely upon an uncorroborated 

 report as proof of tlie vertical distance at which the sea can occa- 

 sionally act upon the weather side of a lofty rock. Its agency in 

 forming some isolated pinnacles has not been denied. 



Truly yours, A. B. "Wynne. 

 London, February 5i.h, 1867. 



FISH IN THE DEVONIAN (NOT OLD EED) ROCKS. 

 To the Editor of the Geological Magazine. 



Sir, — As there is still much misapprehension afloat as to the value 

 of the fossil evidence in the case of " Devonian versus Old Red," it is 

 desirable to clear up any doubtful points. I believe it is admitted 

 pretty generally that the greater part (not all, of course, of the 

 so-called Carboniferous shells, crinoids, &c., in our Devonian lists 

 are erroneous identifications, made upon very imperfect specimens. 

 At least I can answer for this in the greater part of those which have 

 come under my review (see the revised names in the lower gallery, 

 Museum P. Geol. Jermyn-street, and their catalogue) ; and Mr. 

 Davidson has shown us the same thing in his careful monograph of 

 the Carboniferous Brachiopods. There are a few exceptions, and, of 

 course, these multiply in the highest beds. 



But what about the Fish ? It has been shown by many authors 

 that Old Eed fish occur in Devonian strata, and Devonian shells in 

 Old Red Sandstone ; and in a memoir laid before the Geological 

 Society (Quart. Jour. Geol. vol. xix., p. 474, et seq), some years 

 back, I endeavoured to collate these scattered evidences, and add 

 others from personal survey, which would show that the Upper 

 Devonian fossils were found in Upper Old Bed rocks ; Middle Old 

 Red fish were found in Middle Devonian ; and, to complete the evi- 

 dence derived from fossils, a Cephalaspid, from the undoubted Lower 

 Devonian of the Rhenish provinces shewed that Lower Old Red 

 meant Lower Devonian. In the absence of any physical evidence 

 that the strata are not contemporaneous, it seemed to me that these 

 fossil data were sufficient for the affirmative side of the question. 



But it is argued by some that Coccosteus, found in the Eifel and 

 in Russia with the shells, is, with us, as much an Upper as a Middle 

 Old Red form. And, moreover, that while Holoptychius (an undoubted 

 upper Old Red fossil), has been found in the N. Devon rocks in 

 its proper place. Phyllolepis has occurred in the lowest portion of 

 the S. Devon series, near Torquay. Does any one know exactly 

 where the specimen is on which this decision is founded ? It used 

 to be said that at Polperro, in Cornwall, in the Lower Devonian 

 beds, fish were common. Professor M'Coy determined these to be 

 sponge remains. Has any competent authority seen the Phyllolepis, 

 and is the locality certain ? 



J. W. Salter. 



