E. T. Newton — Vertebrata of the Forest-Bed Series. 7 



In this memoir we see Linnarsson perhaps at his best. The 

 mode of presentation of the subject-matter is simplicity itself. The 

 first division of the work is a minutely-detailed account of the gene- 

 ral petrological and palEeontological features of the nine distinct 

 Lower Pala30zoic formations recognized by the author in Westro- 

 gothia, together with a sketch ot their distribution in the Scan- 

 dinavian areas, interspersed with remarks upon their probable extra- 

 Swedish equivalents. In the second part of the paper the reader 

 has laid before him a careful and highly detailed description of the 

 most important sections in Westrogothia. The third part is essen- 

 tially paleeontological, but it is especially remarkable, in a geological 

 point of view, from the fact that it includes a most elaborate table of 

 all the known forms of Swedish Trilobita, every species being 

 assigned, for the first time, to its proper place in the vertical series 

 of formations. 



{To be continued.) 



II. — Notes on the Vertebrata of the Pre-Glacial Fokest 



Bed Series of the East of England. 



By E. T. Newton, F.G.S. 



(Published by permission of the Director- General of the Geological Survey.) 



PART VI.— AYES, EEPTILIA, AND AMPHIBIA. 



AVES. 



EEMAINS of birds from the " Forest Bed " were known to Mr, 

 Green in 1842 (History of Bacton), and they are mentioned 

 by Mr. A. Bell (Geologists' Assoc. 1871), in his list of "Forest 

 Bed " Vertebrata, as bones of indeterminable species. These appear 

 to be the only published instances in which Avian bones from these 

 deposits are referred to, and hitherto no closer determination has 

 been made. This is not very surprising, for the bird bones which 

 have been found, although, in some numbers, are either in a frag- 

 mentary condition or else they are not characteristic parts of the 

 skeleton. Portions of vei'tebr^, scapula, coracoids, and limb-bones 

 probably indicate the existence, at that time, of at least half a 

 dozen different forms ; but at present only two genera have been 

 identified, and one of these is very doubtful. 



A portion of a large metacarpal bone, which agrees in size, form, 

 and markings with the corresponding part of a goose's wing, is 

 referred to the genus Anser. The specimen was obtained by Mr. 

 A. Savin from the estuarine "Forest Bed" at E. Eunton, and is 

 preserved in his collection at Cromer. There is another metacarpal 

 bone, nearly perfect, and agreeing in size with that bone in the wing 

 of the Herring Gull ; but in its form and structure it agrees better 

 with the duck, and as we have also a portion of a coracoid likewise 

 resembling that of the duck, it seems best to refer them provision- 

 ally to the genus Anas 9 Both these specimens are from the Fresh- 

 water Bed at W. Eunton, and are in the possession of i\Ir. A. Savin. 



Of the indeterminable specimens, the greater number belong to 

 Mr. A. Savin, and some are in the Museum of Practical Geology. 



