Fishes. 2995 



which the sovereign Creator has brought into existence in such won- 

 derful number and variety, he had his attention early directed, in con- 

 sequence, to those fossil specimens at Findon, for which Gamrie has 

 so long been not a little remarkable. And thinking it not improbable 

 that, in the neighbourhood, there might be localities of a similar cha- 

 racter which were yet unexplored, he instituted researches for the 

 purpose ; and the consequence has been that he has succeeded in 

 meeting with fossil remains in some deep ravines traversed by water, 

 and lying at a short distance to the south of the Manse. Among 

 these fossils, in conjunction with specimens of Pterichthys (figured 

 Zool. 47), Coccosteus (figured Zool. 48), &c, he has found others, 

 which, to him at least, are unknown ; and there is one in particular 

 which is of a singular configuration, and of which, through his kind- 

 ness, I am now enabled to transmit you a drawing from the pencil of 

 Mrs. Wilson, Manse of Gamrie. Of this specimen, he has not met 

 with any individual that takes an interest in fossil researches, who 

 has either seen or heard of an example. An examination, moreover, 

 of Mr. Miller's publication 'The Old Red Sandstone,' has strengthened 

 him in the opinion that the ichthyolite, of which we are speaking, 

 may, perhaps, be still undescribed and unfigured. Such an opinion, 

 however, he wishes it to be distinctly understood, is merely that of 

 himself, and of those to whom he has submitted his specimens; and 

 he is prepared to find that the ichthyolite, to which I am referring, 

 has already been noticed, and, it may be, is even familiar to such as 

 are properly acquainted with the present state of palaeontological dis- 

 covery. 



James Smith. 

 Manse of Monquhitter by Turriff, Aberdeenshire, 

 December 14, 1849. 



P.S. — Since the above was written, I was informed, both by a notice 

 on the wrapper of the ' Zoologist' for February, 1850, and also by a 

 private communication from the Editor, that the ichthyolite referred to, is 

 the Diplacanthus longispinis of Agassiz' work, on the ' Fossil Fishes 

 of the Old Red Sandstone.' Having had an opportunity, the other 

 day, of examining, for the first time, a copy of the splendid publica- 

 tion now mentioned, belonging to the noble library of King's College, 

 Aberdeen, I paid particular attention to the representation of the 

 ichthyolite of which I am speaking ; and, so far as I am capable of 

 seeing and judging, it differs materially from the specimens of the 



