144 Miscellaneous. 



was as conspicuous as his wonderful knowledge." A resolution was 

 moved by Mr. Doclierty, seconded by Mr. Galloway, and unani- 

 mously agreed to, to the effect that " The members of the Thurso 

 Natural Science Association are of opinion that means should be 

 taken to mark the respect in which he was held, by raising some 

 suitable memorial to his memory." It was further resolved that 

 the Association should request the Chief Magistrate to convene a 

 public meeting of the inhabitants of the town for the purpose of 

 taking steps to carry out this object. 



iynisc:E3XjXi^isr:E30TJS. 



New Species of Plesiosaurus. — A fine addition has recently 

 been made, by purchase, to the remains of Plesiosauri in the British 

 Museum — a collection already rich in the larger species of the genus. 

 The specimen is from the Lower Lias, near Charmouth, and was 

 obtained by E. C. H. Day, Esq., F.G.S., the fortunate discoverer, in 

 the same locality, of the large specimen of Plesiosaurus rostratus, 

 described and figured by Professor Owen, in the ''Palasont. Soc. 

 Mon. for 1865. The fossil has been skilfully developed from its 

 matrix by Mr. Isaac Hunter, of Charmouth. The entire skeleton 

 measures nearly fourteen feet in length, and has almost all the 

 vertebr83 in their natural sequence and position, a few only of the 

 caudal series being displaced. The neck, which is slightly curved, 

 is long, and gradually tapered to rather slender proportions at its 

 connection with the head. A large portion of the cervical, and the 

 whole of the dorsal vertebras, with their' spinous processes, and the 

 ribs have been partially cleared from the rock in which they were 

 embedded ; thus giving an upper and under view of the skeleton, 

 which is j)laced in a frame, with its ventral surface towards the 

 observer. A plaster cast of the dorsal region, which would other- 

 wise have been hidden, has been made and fixed above the specimen, 

 to show the continuity of the series of vertebrae, which are entire, 

 having their lateral processes and neural spines attached ; the ribs 

 are also preserved. This ventral view shows well the very large, 

 perfect, and strong sternal and pelvic bones with their broad sur- 

 faces, for the attachment of the powerful muscles of the paddles ; 

 these are, however, imperfect, for, of the numerous bones of which 

 they were composed, only the right humerus and femur, and por- 

 tions of those of the left side are preserved. The head, which has 

 lost the anterior portion of the muzzle, was, with a part of the neck, 

 turned over when the animal was deposited in the mud of the 

 Liassic sea, and is, therefore, seen from above. It is much larger in 

 proportion than in P. Jiomalospondylus, Ow., or P. dolichodeirus, 

 Conyb., but not so large as that of P. rostratus, Ow. The neck is 

 much longer than that of the latter species. The present specimen 

 has been named by Professor Owen Plesiosaurus laticeps. — W.D. 



