Antediluvian Zoology and Botany, 283 



Indian and American Oceans, the Atlantic, the Red Sea, the 

 Persian Gulf, and the coasts of Africa and Jamaica. 



The fresh-water formation of the Isle of Wight contains a 

 species of Phasianella, whose recent analogue inhabits the 

 shores of islands in the neighbourhood of New Holland. 

 Another fossil (ik/ya gregaria), from the same place, is similar 

 to a fresh-water shell now inhabiting the Rio de la Plata ; and 

 the Potamides of the same beds are found recent in the fresh- 

 waters of the Islands of Bourbon, Guadaloupe, Madagascar, 

 and the river Congo. Another, resembling the Voluta Lam- 

 h€vii of the crag, occurs as a rare shell on the shores of the 

 Fejee Islands in the South Seas. {Sowerby.) 



The circumstances under which the testaceous remains 

 were accumulated, in different formations, are various. They 

 appear to have been subjected to the tumultuous action of 

 water, in the great oolite, where they commonly occur in a 

 comminuted state, and in the coral rag they consist chiefly of 

 fragments. In some of the formations they were evidently 

 deposited by tranquil waters, and have remained without 

 disturbance. This is apparent in the chalk, the London clay, 

 and, indeed, in almost all the clay strata. London clay is 

 decidedly the most rich in beautifully preserved fossils ; the 

 crag, the fresh-water strata, and the upper green sand are 

 almost equally prolific. * 



Mr. G. B. Sowerby, in an article in the Annals of Philo- 

 sophy, October, 3 821, points out the means of distinguishing 

 between fossil fresh-water and marine shells, independently of 

 their animal inhabitants. Our Magazine (Vol. I. p. 425. to 

 428.) contains several plates of recent fresh- water shells. 



Of all the genera of fossil shells, Terebratulae and Am- 

 monites have the widest range, and possess the greatest num- 

 ber of individuals. The Geological Society of London pos- 

 sess a series of Ammonites from India, which are objects of 

 adoration or worship among the Hindoos. They are found 

 on the south-west side of the Himalah mountains, and fall 

 from a height beyond the reach of man, and above the limit 

 of perpetual snow. They are only thus obtained by the 

 natives, and then are religiously preserved ; so that Europeans 

 seldom know of them, on account of the Ammonites being 

 carefully concealed from their knowledge. There are pro- 

 bably more than one species of sacred Ammonites in this 

 collection. 



Belemnites are included in the foregoing list of multilocular 



• See in Mr. J. Phillips's Geology of Yorkshire ^ his notes on the conserva- 

 tion and distribution of organic remains. 



u 2 



