378 MISCELLANEA. 



fossils in the Lower beds about the time mentioned, as the speci- 

 mens are said to be in the Jermyn Street Museum. At the time 

 mentioned above (1873) and for a year or more after, in tact, 

 until he had left the Survey sometime, I corresponded with him, 

 and had frequent conversations about the fossils which the Sur- 

 vey Collector had found in the Lower Carboniferous rocks of the 

 Upper Coquet district, and during all this time he neither men- 

 tioned this discovery to me nor to any of his associates on the 

 Survey, It is veiy difficult, indeed, quite impossible to think 

 that he kept so important a palaeontological discovery entirely to 

 himself until July, 1877. But it follows that if Prof. Lebour can 

 point out any written testimony that he identified the Holystone 

 * ' fi-agments " with Anodon Jukesii at the time he mentions 

 (1873) no one will presume to dispute his claim; but if he did 

 not know what the fragments were till after July 28th, 1877, 

 then I should take his claim of discovery to be an afterthought, 

 and I suppose many other persons will hold the same opinion. 



The other part of Prof. Lebour' s statement is of a graver na- 

 ture. He distinctly says that *' The ^vriter saw these specimens 

 in the late Mr. Wightman's collection in June, 1876, a day or 

 two after their discovery." Now for the correctness or not of this 

 apparently plain statement I have the assertion and written 

 statement of Mr. James Waldie, the discoverer of these fossils, 

 that he did not find them till 1877. Though I have the exact 

 date when they were found, there is no necessity at present to 

 inform the Professor too exactly. Mr. Waldic, who was hero 

 a few months ago, and to whom I mentioned Prof. Lebour's 

 statement said, that it was impossible that any one could have 

 seen the shells a year before they were found, and that witnesses 

 could be brought to prove the correctness of his own date. 

 Therefore it now remains with the Prof, to verify his date and 

 to substantiate liis other statement regarding the discovery of this 

 rather important fossil in the Holystone Grits; for, admitting 

 that fragments had been found, no one knew or claimed to know I 

 to what sliell tlie fragments belonged till after July 28///, 1877. j 

 — Richard Iloicse, Newcastie-on-Ti/ne, August 24 t/i. 1880. ♦ 



