90 Reports, and Proceedings, 



■with Stegonolepis and Telerpeton in the uppermost sandstones of Elgin, remarked 

 that he came to the conclusion that these beds were Triassic iu 1859, and that Mr. 

 Symonds had in that year stated them to be the equivalent of the Rhynchosaurus- 

 sandstones of Shropshire. 



Professor Ramsay regarded the Eed Marls and Sandstones described by Mr. Whit- 

 aker as Keuper, and the lower members of his section as of Permian age. He con- 

 firmed Professor Huxley's views as to the existence of a great extent of continental 

 land at the epoch when Syperodapedon and the Eeptiles associated with it were in 

 existence, and remarked that these Eeptiles inhabited the shores of the great salt 

 lakes of the Triassic land. He objected to the use of the term " poikilitic," and re- 

 marked that if the idea embodied by Professor Huxley under it were to be accepted, 

 it would have to be extended to all terrestrial deposits from the Silarian period to the 

 present day. 



Dr. GiiNTHEE, referred to his description of Sphenodon (= Hatteria), and re- 

 marked that in that genus there are uucinate processes on the ribs, as in Birds, which 

 do not exist in Hyperodapedon. He remarked upon the resemblance of the beak ia 

 the latter to that of the Tortoises, especially Trionyx, and suggested that the jaws 

 might have had a horny covering. 



Dr. Meryon inquired as to the implantation of the teeth in the jaws of Syperoda- 

 pedon, and suggested that the position and dii-ection of the orbits were not accordant 

 with terrestrial babits, and also that the absence of processes on the ribs indicated a 

 flexibility of the body consistent with a fluviatile mode of life. 



Professor Huxley showed that no conclusion could be drawn from the want of 

 processes on the ribs or the position of the orbits as to the habits of the animals, and 

 remarked that the processes in Sphenodon were not anchylosed to the ribs ; he con- 

 sidered it possible, but not probable, that the jaws had a horny covering. He stated 

 that in using the term " poikilitic," he was desirous of indicating that while several 

 marine formations with changing forms of life succeeded each other, the terrestrial 

 fauna may, in certain cases, have been continuous. He believed that terrestrial forms 

 were at least as persistent as marine. 



Mr. Carrutbers remarked that the Permian vegetation showed Mesozoic affinities, 

 and in fact that the commencement of the Mesozoic flora was to be sought in the 

 Permian. 



NoKWiCH GrEOLOGiCAL SociETY. — The first monthly meeting for 

 the current year, of the Norwich Geological Society was held on the 

 14th January, at the Museum, the President, the Eev. J. Gunn, 

 F.G.S., in the chair. The President exhibited a fine humerus of a 

 cetacean, dredged up off Yarmouth, and now in Mr. J. J. Owles' 

 collection. It shows marks of having been partially cut through by 

 some sharp instrument, and numerous holes, which, it is presumed, 

 were bored by the Pholas. Mr. Fitch called attention to a magnifi- 

 cent fossil Ammonite, which is of great interest, as being the first 

 flint Ammonite derived from the Chalk in which the septa are shown. 

 The President said there was a specimen in the Museum, which 

 showed the septa, and another in the possession of Mr. Wright, of 

 Buxton. These were, however, obtained from the Boulder-till, and 

 not from the Chalk. Then followed a discussion on some Piles 

 recently discovered at Trowse, of which coloured diagrams and 

 sections had been prepared by Mr. Eeeve to show their position. 

 These were explained by Mr. J. E. Taylor. As the investigations 

 have not yet been completed, we shall defer a more lengthened 

 notice of their discovery. Although the position of the piles at 

 Trowse differed in one respect, namely, in their being placed in 

 regular lines, from the position of those used for crannoges, yet the 

 argument seemed in favour of their having been applied to the 

 formation of such a dwelling, and it was strengthened by the state- 



