460 



THE GEOLOGIST, 



ranted in concluding that upwards of 500 animals were deposited in that 

 limited space. 



The coloured map of the German Ocean exhibited at the meeting, showed 

 the localities whence the organic remains are chiefly taken ; certain spots 

 marked thereon are the fishing-grounds, and, therefore, the depositories of 

 the fossils with which we are made familiar ; but we cannot doubt that 

 these exuvias are more generally distributed over the sea-bottom. The 

 following specimens were exhibited : — Teeth of three species of ele- 

 phant, Eleplias j^rimigenius, JE. antiquus, and E. meridionalis ; cervical 

 and dorsal vertebrae of the same genus ; two teeth of a hippopotamus (a 

 dorsal vertebra has since been brought up) ; a dorsal vertebra of a whale ; 

 a unique siDecimen of a lower jaw of the Trichecjiiis rosmarus ; heads of 

 the Megaceros JSihernicus, male and female ; an anterior dorsal vertebra 

 of ditto (an antler, 4 feet 6 inches long, has since been brought me) ; atlas 

 of ditto ; a fragment of an antler of Cervus tarandus ; the humerus of a 

 gigantic ox ; a portion of the head of the Equus fossilis ; and a fine speci- 

 men of Castor EurojDceus, the head. The colour of these specimens might 

 lead us to believe that they belonged to the Mammaliferous Crag period ; 

 but colour is not a decisive criterion. It is probable that they may have 

 lain in close proximity to a bed of crag they are unquestionably from a 

 Pleistocene deposit. 



And, now, as to how these organic remains came to be at the bottom of 

 the ocean. At a not very remote geological period our island was united 

 with the continent ; a catastrophe took place which separated them and 

 led to the formation of the Grerman Ocean. This gap has been continually 

 enlarging, from the crumbling down of the cliffs on either side ; the fossils 

 have thus been exhumed, carried out to sea during storms by retiring waves, 

 and there deposited, l^-o doubt, also, that many remains which lie buried 

 in the land that 'originally united us to the continent sank bodily with 

 it, and consequently they are met with when the sea-bottom is raked over 

 by the trawling-nets of the fishermen. 



P.S. — I give the measurement of three tusks. One, belonging to Mr. 

 Owles, measures — length of external curve, 7 feet 5 inches ; girth at 

 proximal end, 18 inches ; radius of inner curve, 3 feet. 



I possess two perfect tusks — one, length, 6 feet 3 inches ; girth, 17 

 inches ; radius of curve, 3 feet 3 inches : the other, length, 6 feet ; girth, 

 12| inches ; radius of curve, 4 feet 2 inches. These proportions indicate 

 that my specimens are from two distinct species of the elephant. 



A femur of the mammoth in my possession measures 3 feet 5 inches, 

 minus the head of the bone, which is gone. 



The late Hev. Mr. Layton possessed the finest collection of mammalian 

 remains from the Norfolk coast. At his death it was purchased for the 

 British Museum. 



NOTES ON DEEP OR ARTESIAN WELLS AT NOEWICH. 

 By the Rev. J. Ceompto]S", 

 The object of this paper is to put on record the facts connected with the 

 attempt now being made by Messrs. J. and J. Colman, of London and 

 Norwich, to bore a deep well through the chalk to the Lower G-reensand. 

 Mr. Eose, of Yarmouth, in the 'Proceedings of the Geologists' Associa- 



*' The atlas of the Megaceros has a Tarritella incrassata (Crai? fossil) sticlcing ia the 

 canal for the vertebral artery. 



