472 Scientific Intelligence. 



5. Note on the discovery of the opercnla of HyoUthes in Ne\B 

 York ■ by S. W. Fokd. (Communicated by the author). — Several 



weeks ago, being in Montreal, I showed Mr. Billings, Paleontol- 

 ogist of the Geological Survey of Canada, a small collection of 

 fossils that I had made in the Primordial rocks near this place. 

 He pointed out to me, that among them there were the opercula 

 of two species of HyoUthes. One is a minute circular species 

 with four pairs of lateral muscular impressions, and two smaller, 

 dorsal, all radiating from a point near one side. The other species 

 is larger and like a Z>^sc^w<z on the outside. Mr. B. showed me 

 several specimens of the smaller species, that had been collected 

 by Mr. T. C. Weston of the Canadian Survey last summer, in 

 rocks of the same age below Quebec. I am informed that this is 

 the first discovery of the opercula of HyoUthes yet made on this 

 <:ontinent. I have made some observations on the rocks of this 

 vicinity, and collected a number of species of fossils, of which I 

 hope to give an account at an early date. 

 Troy, May 8th, 1871. 



6. Note on a new and gigantic Species of Pterodactyle ; by 

 O. C. Marsh.— In addition to the Cretaceous fossils described pp. 

 447-453, the Yale College party obtained several specimens 

 which indicate a huge flying reptile, apparently of the genus 

 JPterodactylus. The remains belonged to two or more individuals. 

 They are fragmentary, but some of them are quite characteristic. 

 The distal ends of two long bones, similar in form to the tibia ot 

 a bird, are evidently portions of the peculiar metacarpal of the 

 wing-finger. One of these, which retains the lower part of the 

 shaft, resembles in its proportions the corresponding bone in 

 Pterodactylus Suevicus. The condyles are well developed, and 

 have a sweep of two thirds of a circle. They appear to have been 

 originally somewhat oblique. In size and general form, they are 



1 Cretaceous Reptiles, 





(len figured by Owen m ms m 

 (Sup. I, PL ly, fig. 9-11), but 



between them. The shaft, 



was apparently no longitudinal elevati 



where broken, is subtrihedral, with the posterior face 



The bones are light, with thin compact walls. The long bones 



of the metacarpal with the part of the shaft preserved i 

 half inches; the fore and aft extent of the condyles fourteen lines , 

 the transverse extent about thirteen lines. This would indicate au 

 expanse of wings of not less than twenty feet ! The species, wnic 

 is the first found in this country, may be named Fterodact'/lu^ 

 Oioeni, in honor of Professor Richard Owen, of London. i'^^J^^ 

 mains now representing it were discovered by the writer, in -N o^ e" 

 ber last, in the upper Cretaceous formation of Western Kansas. 

 7. Earthquakes— Subterranean electrical disturbances.--^ J^ 

 minutes before and after the earthquakes of the l7th ^I'^f^Y, | 

 powerful positive electrical currents were rushing toward ^«S^^' '_ 

 through the two Anglo-American telegraph cables, which are o 

 ken near Trinity Bay, N ewfoundland. Mr. C. F. Variey, \^:^^ 

 informed us of the fact, broaches the novel speculation thai so 

 earthquakes may be due to subterranean lightning. -A «fw?'«, Apr. 



