HISTORY OF THE SOCIETY 



489 



burgh, §c, by Professor Jameson. — The Professor remarked 

 that he had been induced to exhibit a part of his collection of 

 fossil fishes to the Society, for the purpose of correcting an over- 

 sight of M. Agassiz, who states, in his work on Fossil Ichthyology, 

 that he had received from Professor Jameson a series of fossil 

 fishes from Burdiehouse, whereas none of the specimens he sent 

 him were collected at Burdiehouse, or even in Mid-Lothian, the 

 whole being from Fifeshire. The Professor also stated that the 

 discovery of fossil ichthyolites in this neighbourhood was not of 

 a recent date, as he had found bones and scales of fishes more 

 than eighteen years ago in our secondary deposits, and had been 

 in the practice for many years back of stating the occurrence of 

 these remains to his pupils in the lecture-room, and pointing it out 

 in the field. Some general observations were then made on the age 

 of fossil fishes, their distribution in red sandstone and limestone, 

 slate-clay, bituminous shale, and coal in the Lothians, Angusshire, 

 Lanarkshire, &c. ; and he concluded by remarking that Agassiz, 

 after an examination of several hundred species of fishes from 

 secondary rocks, had found no character whatever to distinguish 

 fresh from salt water fishes. The species exhibited were the 

 following: Palaeoniscus ariolatus, ornatissimus, Robisoni ; Eu- 

 rynotus crenatus, and Pygopterus Jamesoni — Dr Traill then 

 made some remarks on the identity of the limestone of Fifeshire 

 with that of Burdiehouse, which he stated was proved not only 

 from its geological position, but also from the fossil fishes which 

 were exhibited by Professor Jameson, they belonging not only 

 to the same genera, but all, with one exception, being of the 

 same species as those found at Burdiehouse. 



2. On the similarity of some Birds from Northern India with 

 European Species, by Professor Jameson — In continuation of 

 his list of Birds of Northern India, nearly allied to the European, 

 the Professor remarked, that it was his intention (already stated 

 last year) to bring before the Society every species which should 

 come under his observation, for the purpose of pointing out the 



