48G Correspondence — Mr» George J. Smith. 



Had they been given me, as stated by Mr. Tylor, I should not have 

 committed myself b}^ publishing the list v^ithout first obtaining Mr. 

 Skertchly's permission, and without due acknowledgment. I must 

 ask you, therefore, to insert this, in correction of Mr. Tyler's state- 

 ment, which is erroneous. George J. Smith. 

 IsLiNQTON, September 5, 1868. 



ORMEROD'S GEOLOGICAL INDEX. 

 A Second Edition of this work, including the papers contained in 

 the Quarter^ Journal for 1868, will shortly be published. Geo- 

 logists are requested to communicate notices of any errors or omis- 

 sions that exist in the first edition to the author, at the following 

 address, G. W. Ormerod, Esq., 



Chagford, Exeter. 



FOSSILS FROM THE COAL-MEASURES. 



Sir, — I have recently collected, or had forwarded to me, thousands 

 of specimens of fossil jaws, teeth, scales, spines, ribs, vertebrae, and 

 other fish-remains from the Low Main Coal Shales of Northumber- 

 land. 



As a matter of course, several of the specimens are duplicates, and 

 are not required for the cabinet. I shall therefore have great plea- 

 sure in forwarding a tooth or scale to any of your readers who will 

 send me a stamped and addressed parchment luggage label. 



The fossils collected are for the most part of the following genera : — 

 Bhizodus, Megaliclithys, Bhizodopsis, Ctenodus, Ctenoptychius, Pleura- 

 canthus, Gyr acanthus, Strepsodus, Acanthodopsis, etc., myriads of 

 Entomostraca, and a few reptile remains. T. P. Barkas. 



Newcastle-on-T-xne, September 8, 1868. 



DISCOVERY OF £0S PRIMIGENIUS IN THE LOWER BOULDER- 

 CLAY OF SCOTLAND. 



Sir, — In my humble opinion, it is doubtful if Mr. Geikie is correct 

 in placing the discovery of the above fossil in the true Till or Lower 

 Boulder-clay of Scotland.^ He says that " the fossil was imbedded 

 some few feet deep, in a soft clay or mud, interlaminated with lines 

 and beds of sand, and occasional layers of fine gravel." Mr. Geikie 

 takes this bed as being intercalated, with the Lower Boulder-clay, 

 whereas the Lower Boulder-clay rises up through this stratified bed, 

 (if I may so speak) , throwing it out altogether, for more than one 

 hundred yards in the cutting, — a fact that Mr. Geikie has overlooked, 

 both in his sketch section, Fig. 1, and in the letterpress description. 

 This has led him to consider the clay that underlies the stratified 

 bed as identical with that which overlies it. They are certainly 

 distinct. The clay that is seen rising from under the stratified bed is 

 the true Till ; and consists of a tough dark blue clay, full of stones 

 and quite free of sand. It is seen rising from under the stratified 

 bed, near the place where the fossil was found, and occupying the 



' Sec Mr. James Geikie' s article in the September Number of the Geological 

 Magazine, p. 393 (with two woodcut sections). 



