166 



THE GEOLOGIST. 



was also described from a specimen brought to England by Dr. Feuchtwanger, 

 and placed in the Great Exhibition of 1851 ; it is named C. antiquatus by the 

 author. As these two genera have as yet l)een known only in the "Zone Primor- 

 diale " Mr. Salter regards the above-mentioned specimens as indicative of the 

 existence of that geological formation in the countries here mentioned. 



The author also referred to an obscure specimen oi Asaphus, from the " Calci- 

 ferous sand-rock " of Canada, which he once, but on insufficient grounds, published 

 as a Paradoxides. 



The specimens alluded to in the paper were on the table. 



3. " On a new species of Dicynodon (D. Murrayi) from near Colesberg, South 

 Africa." By Prof. T. H. Huxley, F.Pv.S., Sec. G.S. 



For the original specimen from which Prof. Huxley first obtained (in the spring 

 of last year) evidence of the existence of this species he was indebted to the Rev. 

 H. M. White, of Andover, who subsequently put the author in communication 

 with the discoverer of the fossil, Mr. J. A. Murray, and the latter gentleman 

 having written to his father, resident in South Africa, obtained for Prof. Huxley 

 a large quantity of similar fossil remains. One specimen in particular having been 

 carefully chiselled out by Mr. Dew, afforded a complete skull of this peculiar and 

 previously undescribed species of Dicynodon. 



The author described the distinctive features of this skull in detail. Dicynodon 

 Murrayi is chstinguished from all the already known species by the following 

 characters : — 



(1.) The plane of the upper anterior face of the nasal and premaxillary bones 

 would, if produced, cut that of the upper face of the parietal at an angle of about 

 90°. 



(2.) The supratemporal fossse are much longer fi-om within outwards than from 

 before backwards, owing partly to the shortness of the parietal region. 



(3.) The alveoli of the tusks, the transverse section of which is circular, commence 

 immediately under the nasal aperture, and extend forwards and downwards 

 parallel with the plane of the nasal and upper part of the premaxillary bones, and 

 do not leave their sockets until they have passed beyond the level of the posterior 

 end of the symjjhysis of the lower javf. 



(4.) The nasal apertures are altogether in front of the orbits. 



(5.) The length of the upper javf in front of the nasal a])ertures is certainly equal 

 to one-third, and probably to one-half, the whole length of the skull, which is 

 between six and seven inches. 



(6.) The OS quadratum is about half as long as the skull. 



These peculiarities are regarded as sufficient to distinguish Dicynodon Murrayi 

 from all others ; and the author stated that he should reserve the description of 

 many other anatomical features, which are probably more or less common to other 

 Dicynodons, such as the bony sclerotic, the bony interorbital septum and vomer, 

 the characters of the humerus, of the pelvis, and of the ribs, for another paper, in 

 which other Dicynodont remains will be considered. 



The specimen illustrating the paper was exhibited by Prof Huxley. 



4. " On the Coal found by Dr! Livingstone at Tete, on the Zambesi, South 

 Africa." By Richard Thornton, Esq. 



J^'orwarded from the Foreign Office by order of Lord Malmesbury. 



Mr. Thornton states that this coal ' is free-burning ; showing no tendency to 

 cake ; containiug very little of either sulphur or iron, a large proportion of ash, 

 but only a little gaseous matter. The result of the trial (made in the steara- 

 launcli) of this coal and its appearances favour, in the author's opinion, the idea 

 tliat the coal, when taken from a deeper digging (that which Dr. Livingstone had 

 sent was collected at the surface of the ground), will probably contain le'ss ash and 

 a little more gaseous matter. 



March 9th, 1 S59.— The following communications were read : — 



1. " On some Minerals from Persia." Bv the Hon. C. A. Murray, C.B., &c. 



Forwarded from tlie Foreign Office by order of Lord Malmesbury. 



The mineral sjiecimens referred to Vere obtained from the tlistrict between 

 Taln-iz and the Caspian, especially from the Karadagh Range, and consist of 

 native co}iper, chrysocolla, red oxide and black oxide of copper, malachite, azure- 



