NOTES AND QUEETES. 



Ill 



New Canadian Lower Silurian Fossils. — Mr. Billings has described, 

 in a bulletin recently issued (Montreal, November, 1S61), the following new 

 species from the Potsdam group (Primordial zone), at Straits of Belle 

 Isle, north-east coast of America : — Palceopliycus incipiens, Arcliceocyathus 

 atlanticiis, A. Minganerisis, Oholus Lahracloricus, O. chromatica, O.cingu- 

 lata, Conocephalites miser, JBafltyurus senectus, J3. parvulus, Salterella 

 rugosa, S. obtusa, and S. pulchella.^ From Vermont : — PalcEophycus 

 congregatus, Orthisina fistinata, Camerella antiquata, Conocephaliies 

 Adamsi, C. teueer, C. arenosus, and C. vulcanus. From rocks of the age 

 of the Trenton, Chazy, and Black Eirer Limestone : — Eospongia Roemerii, 

 JE. varians, Asfylo-spongia parvida, Lingiila Ferryi, Lituites Fanisioortlii, 

 L. imperator, and Ampyx Halli. 



The new genera are Eospongia, Archceocyafhus, Oholella, and Salterella. 

 The second includes small Brachiopods allied to Obolus (of Eichwald), but 

 differing internally. The fourth is for a group of small conical bodies, 

 possibly Pteropoda, and related to Theca, Morris, imd. Pugimi cuius, ^2iV- 

 rande. 



Caeboniferous Beds of Dtnant. — M. E. Dupont, a young naturalist, 

 has collected an immense quantity of fossils from the carboniferous lime- 

 stone of Dinaut. His notice, communicated to the Belgian Academy, com- 

 mences with the description of twelve localities, Celles, Hayont, Furfooz, 

 Fosses, Freyr, Pauquys, Matignolles, Flaviou, Corenne, Yves, Anseremme, 

 and Awagne, and is accompanied by lists of the species most common in 

 each locality. To it is appended a table showing the number of species 

 met with in each of those localities, and the names of those which have been 

 determined. Two hundred and seventy described species belong to 57 

 genera and 8 classes, and are from localities hitherto little known ; while 

 255 others, belonging to 36 genera, are probably new species, by which our 

 paleontological records will be enriched. The labours of M. Dupont, 

 moreover, make apparent a very remarkable fact in Natural History, 

 namely, the difference of the animal popnlations in very near locahties at 

 the same epoch, and on a ground-bottom of the same nature ; for although 

 the author only occupied himself with a district not more than eight leagues 

 square, and has confined his investigations to the calcareous rocks of one 

 geological stage — the Calcaire de Tournay — each of these twelve sections 

 presents a fauna with peculiar characters. 



Duties of Mineral Agents. — Many works on the improvement of 

 estates treat fully on agriculture and forestry, but all either wholly neglect 

 or only cursorily touch upon the mineral resources. 



The 'Dublin Quarterly Journal of Science,' for January last, contains 

 an excellent article " On the Duties of Mineral Agents," in which there is 

 a variety of useful, practical information. The subjects treated are, — 

 1. The Mineral Agent's Relations with the Mine-Lord. 2. Mineralogy. 

 3. Table of Characters of Ores. 4. Mining Geology. 5. Mineral Chemis- 

 try. 6. Mine-surveying. 7. An Appendix containing Forms of Take- 

 Notes, Mining-Leases, and Licenses, etc. 



Saurian Eemains in the Jura. — M. Chepard, one of the engineers 

 of the raihvay now constructing in the vicinity of Poiigny, has noticed in 

 the ' Sentinelle du Jura,' the discovery, in making one of the cuttings for 

 the line, of the remains of a large Saurian, which, from the dimensions of 

 the bones, he considers to have been from thirty to forty metres (P) in 

 lengtht The remains consist of three claws of from eight to twelve centi- 

 metres in length, several phalanges with fine articular surfaces, a part of 



* He has also identified from the same place, ScIiolUhus linearis and Barrandia {vel 

 Obolus) Thomsoni^ and B. {v. 0.) Yermontana, 



