158 PKOCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY,. [Jan. 27, 



remarked upon the resemblance of the beak in the latter to that of 

 the Tortoises, especially Trionyx, and suggested that the jaws might 

 have had a horny covering. 



Dr. Meeton inquired as to the implantation of the teeth in the 

 jaws of Hyperodafpedon, and suggested that the position and direc- 

 tion of the orbits were not accordant with terrestrial habits, and 

 also that the absence of processes on the ribs indicated a flexibility 

 of the body consistent with a fluviatile mode of life. 



Prof. Huxley showed that no conclusion could be drawn from the 

 want of processes on the ribs or the position of the orbits as to the 

 habits of the animal, and remarked that the processes in Sphenodon 

 were not anchylosed to the ribs ; he considered it possible, but not 

 probable, that the jaws had a horny covering. He stated that in 

 using the term '' poikilitic," he was desirous of indicating that 

 while several marine formations with changing forms of life suc- 

 ceeded each other, the terrestrial fauna may, in certain cases, have 

 been continuous. He believed that terrestrial forms were at least 

 as persistent as marine. 



Mr. Caertttheks remarked that the Permian vegetation showed 

 Mesozoic affinities, and in fact that the commencement of the Meso- 

 zoic flora was to be sought in the Permian. 



January 27th, 1869. 



Arnold Lupton, Esq., Salter Gate, Chesterfield, and Dr. George 

 Rogers, of Longwood Asylum, Bristol, were elected Fellows of the 

 Society. 



The following communications were read : — 



1. Notes on Geaptolites and allied Fossils occurring in Ireland. 

 By William Hellier Baily, F.L.S., F.G.S. 



The remarks I am about to offer upon a group of fossils of great 

 importance in determining strata of Silurian age is principally 

 intended to record the species I have been enabled to identify in Irish 

 strata. I shall avoid discussing the question as to the exact position 

 Graptolites occupy in the animal kingdom, except to observe that 

 the preponderance of evidence is in favour of their alliance with the 

 Hydrozoa ; nor will I give any details of their structure, this subject 

 having been lately so ably discussed by Mr. William Carruthers in 

 the new edition of ' SHuria,' and in his paper entitled " A revision of 

 the British Graptolites"*. Dr. H. A. Nicholson has also added con- 

 siderably to our knowledge of this interesting group of extinct Zoo- 

 phytic organisms. 



I will now briefly allude to the localities in Ireland where these 

 fossils occur, nearly all of them having been visited by me, and 



* Geological Magazine, vol. v. p. 64 (1868). 



