Vol. 52.] CALAIS NEWBOLDI FROM THE LEBANON. 229 



10. On a Fossil Octopus (Calais Newboldi, J. De C. Sby. MS.) 

 from, the Cketaceocs of the Lebanon. By Henby Woodwakd, 

 LL.D., F.R.S., F.G.S. (Head January 22nd, 1896.) 



[Plate VI.] 



I am indebted to Mr. C. Davies Sherborn, F.G.S., for drawing my 

 attention to a very remarkable and beautiful fossil from the 

 Cretaceous formation of the Lebanon, Syria, obtained about 1846 

 by Lieut. T. J. Newbold, and presented by him to the Museum 

 of the Geological Society, where it has since remained. In 1846 it 

 attracted the attention of Mr. J. De Carle Sower by, who evidently 

 intended to describe it, ' at a more convenient season,' which never 

 arrived ; for he wrote upon it : — 



' Calais Newbouldii ' (read Newboldi). ' Ceph. Octopoda. Genus 

 ineditum. Abdomen alts triangularibus instructum. 



1 E strato calcareo tertiario Montis Libani a 1). (T. J.) Newbo.(u)ld 

 effossum 1846. J. De C. Sowerbx.' 



The only criticisms that I would venture to make upon this label 

 are (1) that the stratum of limestone from the Lebanon, whence the 

 fossil was derived, is not of ' Tertiary ' but Cretaceous age ; (2) that 

 the specimen is marked in pencil on the back ' Major Newbold, 

 Mt. Lebanon ' (whose initials were ' T. J.'=' Thomas John') 

 not D., and there should be no u in Newbold. He is spoken of 

 in 1842 as 'Lieut. Newbold' (Proc. Geol. Soc. 1842, pp. 782-792), 

 and by Murchison in his Presidential Address, Feb. 17th, 1843, 

 as ' Lieut. Newbold, of the East India Company's service ' (Proc. 

 Geol. Soc. vol. iv. 1846, p. 137). 



[In the 'National Biography,' 1S94, pp. 314-315, Newbold is spoken of as 

 one of the most accomplished officers in the East India Company's service. He 

 was made a Lieutenant in 1834 ; and, while serving in Malacca, was Aide-de- 

 camp to Brigadier-General E. W. Wilson, C.B. In 1840 he obtained leave 

 and visited Egypt, Sinai, and Palestine, when he no doubt secured the fossil 

 now under consideration. He was made a Captain, April 12th, 1842; but his 

 later rank of Major is not mentioned, by his biographer. He died at 

 Mahabuleshwar on May 29th, 1850, at the age of 43 years. He wrote several 

 important works on Indian Geology, on Egypt, the Sinaitic Peninsula, and 

 Palestine, and he contributed 46 papers to various learned Societies.] 



Prof. Lewis says, ' There are two principal localities for Cre- 

 taceous fossils known and recorded in the Lebanon, namely, Hakel 

 and Sahel-el-Alma, and a third of minor importance, called 

 Hazhula (Djoula on the French military chart), about 2 hours and 

 a half south of Hakel. 



' Hakel is the oldest known locality, though it has been but 

 rarely visited. It is a long day's journey from Beirut, and is 

 situated at about 800 to 1000 feet of elevation above the sea, and 

 distant from the sea in a straight line about 6 miles. 



4 Sahel-el-Alma is nearer to Beirut, and may be visited from the 



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