in the Neighbourhood of Edinburgh. 213 



be supposed to have the nearest relationship to races long since 

 extinct. In the present instance, it has been reserved to the 

 talents and discrimination of an Agassiz alone, to rescue from a 

 kind of obscurity a sauroid fish, (I was nearly repeating the term 

 of a finny reptile) dwelling among the lakes and rivers of the 

 most thermal regions of America, and to render it elucidative of 

 one of the earliest states of our globe, when, in the language of 

 this naturalist, fish combined in their peculiar organization the 

 character of reptiles ; — of a class of animals, which only appeared 

 in great number during a later period of the history of our 

 planet. 



NOTES TO SECTION XL 



In closing M. Agassiz's account of the Megalichthys, I feel it my duty to ex- 

 press the deep sense of obligation I am under to him for correcting the imperfect 

 views which I had entertained regarding this animal. But it is not the gratitude of 

 an individual like myself that will form the meed which awaits this naturalist. 

 The general cause of geology is interested in the light which he has thrown upon 

 the subject of Palaeontology. 



Considering the very disjointed state of the specimens hitherto collected at 

 Burdiehouse, no feeling can possibly remain, except one of admiration that M . 

 Agassiz has been enabled to make so much of them. It is greatly to be lamented 

 that this naturalist had not, before he returned to Switzerland, the opportunity of 

 studying some jaws of the Megalichthys which had assuredly turned up, but the 

 sight of which was never allowed to extend to the Royal Society, or to myself. 



It was in the eleventh hour that I came into possession of part of a jaw, whicn 

 was, I believe conceded to me, from motives of compassion. It was considered hard 

 that he who had first pointed out the treasures of the quarry should not be permit- 

 ted to avail himself of one of the relics which he most coveted. I am sorry that it 

 had arrived too late for a drawing of it to be forwarded to M. Agassiz, in time for 

 his remarks upon its striking osteological character. 



SECTION XII— OTHER LOCALITIES IN WHICH THE REMAINS OF THE MEGA- 

 LICHTHYS HAVE BEEN FOUND. 



It becomes an interesting object of inquiry if the remains of 

 the Megalichthys have been found in other localities. 



The result of the information that I have been able to obtain 

 is, that such remains have been discovered in the coal-fields of 



