GEOlOGICAL COLLECTION. 2/^9 



The fossil vertebrated animals are divided into 

 four great sections : fishes, reptiles, birds and 

 mammalia. 



The first section is subdivided according to the 

 age of the formations to which their localities 

 belong. It occupies all the cases to the left as 

 we enter the hall. We must begin our survey 

 by the cases at the bottom. The objects are as 

 follows : 



1 st. Several fossil fishes from the transition slate 

 of Plettenburg, in the neighbourhood of Glaris in 

 Switzerland : they are the most ancient vestiges 

 of this class, which have yet been discovered in 

 the bosom of the earth. 



2d. A considerable number of fishes, whose 

 skeletons are filled with sulphuret of mercury. 

 They were taken from the sandstone which 

 contains the quicksilver mines of the Palati- 

 nate. They were discovered and collected by 

 M. Beurard. 



3d. Some ichthyolites from the coalmines of 

 Saarbruck. Their gangue is formed of the com- 

 pact argiliferous carbonate of iron, which is 

 worked so advantageously in Saarbruck, and 

 especially in England, for the use of large furnaces. 



4th. Some good impressions in the marno- 

 bituminous cupriferous slate of Mansfeldt and 

 Thuringia. 



