GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF MANCHESTER. 5; 



small seams in the bed of the Irwell. The remains of fishes 

 are shown to occur in strata amounting to 500 yards in thick- 

 ness ; the specimens consist of the genera : Diplodus, Ctenop- 

 tychius, Ctenodus, Gyracanthus, and many other rays, be- 

 longing to Professor Agassiz^s placoid order ; and the Mega- 

 lidithys, HoloptycMus, Platysomus, Palceoniscus, Ccelacanthus 

 and Diplopterus, belonging to the ganoid order. Fishes of 

 the latter order were much more plentifully found both in the 

 Manchester coal fields and the bituminous schists of Pendle- 

 ton^ than those of the placoid order. After noticing the 

 different proportions in which the above genera occur in the 

 two coal fields named, Mr. Binney observed that the remains 

 of the fishes found in the limestone were nearly in the same 

 condition in which they were first deposited ; with the excep- 

 tion of their animal matter, which had entirely disappeared. 

 Their phosphate of lime remained, as well as a great portion 

 of their original carbonate of lime. In the bituminous 

 schists, the specimens were merely casts, having a much 

 brighter appearance than the matrix ; all the specimens were 

 fragments, scarcely two of which were met with together ; 

 and in no instance had he yet met with an entire specimen 

 in the Manchester coal field. The best he had seen was 

 part of a small Ccelacanthus met with by Mr. G. W. Orme- 

 rod ; but in the four feet mine at Pendleton, fishes occurred 

 in nearly an entire state. From the teeth of the fishes there 

 could be no doubt that they were all of predatory habits ; 

 hence probably not many died natural deaths ; and he had 

 formerly given his reasons for believing that the Pendleton 

 fishes had been poisoned by impure water ; he now stated 

 the same opinion with respect to those of the Manchester 

 coal field. Mr. Binney next stated the result of certain ex- 

 periments made by him, suggested by the occurrence of 

 fossil Cypris in connection with the remains of fishes in these 

 strata ; having procured specimens of Cypris ornata, and 



