2708 Reptiles. 



sor of the University of Edinburgh, mentioned that he had dissected a " green 

 lizard," brought by a botanical party from the Clova Mountains, of which, however, 

 the remnants were not to be found, when search was, at my request, made for 

 them. I hope these two additional indications of the probability of its being Bri- 

 tish may not be unacceptable. I may add that last summer, in answer to my 

 inquiries in Sutherlandshire, T was told a large species of lizard was stated by the 

 shepherds to be found in a particular district, Moudale, which my imagination led me 

 to believe was the green lizard. However, on further inquiry in the place mentioned, 

 the accounts seemed far more applicable to the common warty newt. I saw the com- 

 mon lizard in plenty, though not extending to the Shetland or Faroe islands, and I 

 did not see it in Orkney. — John Wolley ; Edinburgh, January 6, 1850. 



Foot-prints of a Reptilian Quadruped (Sauropus primoevus) in the Old Red Sand- 

 stones of North America. — " The object of this communication is to announce that I 

 have discovered the foot-prints, in bas relief, of a reptilian quadruped, lower in the 

 series than has yet been observed. On the 5th of April last, in the examination 

 of the strata in the gorge of the Sharp Mountain, near Pottsville, Pennsylvania, 

 where the Schuylkill breaks through it, a large mass of remarkably fine old red sand- 

 stone attracted my attention. Imprinted upon it, I was surprised to find six distinct 

 impressions of foot-marks, in a double row of tracks, each mark being duplicated by 

 the hind-foot falling into the impression of the fore-foot, but a little more advanced. 

 The strata here are tilted a little over the vertical, and the surface of rock exposed was 

 about twelve feet by six feet, the whole of which surface was covered with ripple marks 

 and the pits of rain drops, beautifully displayed in the very fine texture of the deep 

 red sandstone. The six double impressions distinctly show, in the two parallel rows 

 formed by the left feet on the one side and the right feet on the other, that the animal 

 had five toes on the fore feet, three of which toes were apparently armed with un- 

 guinal appendages. The length of the double impression is four and a quarter 

 inches ; the breadth four inches ; the distance apart in the length of the step of the 

 animal thirteen inches ; across, from outside to outside, eight inches. The mark of 

 the dragging of the tail is distinct, and occasionally slightly obliterates a small part of 

 the impressions of the foot-marks. The ripple marks are seven to eight inches apart, 

 and very distinct, as well as the pits of the rain drops. These foot-marks assimilate 

 remarkably to those of the recent Alligator Mississippiensis, and are certainly some- 

 what analogous to the Cheirotherium. The geological position of this reptilian 

 quadruped is of great interest, from the fact, that no such animal remains have here- 

 tofore been discovered so low in the series. Those described by Dr. King, in the 

 great western coal field, are only 800 feet below the surface of the coal formation. 

 (No. 13, of Prof. Eogers, the State Geologist). The position of the Pottsville "foot- 

 marks " is about 8500 feet below the upper part of the coal formation there, which is 

 6750 feet thick, according to Professor Rogers, and they are in the "red shale'' (his 

 No. 11) the intermediate silicious conglomerate (No. 12), being stated by him to be 

 1031 feet thick at Pottsville. These measurements would bring these foot-marks 

 about 700 feet below the upper surface of the old red sandstone. A mass of coal plants 

 exists immediately on the northern face of the heavy conglomerate, here tilted ten de- 

 grees over the vertical, and forming the crest and " back-bone " of Sharp Mountain. 

 This conglomerate mass is about 150 feet thick at the western side of the road below 

 Pottsville. On the same road-side, about 1735 feet from these coal plants, is the face 

 of the rock, tilted slightly over the vertical, and facing the north. It is proper to state, 



