36 
THE GEOLOGIST, 
zoologist : Not only is the new genus Coryphodon now perfectly 
established as such, but everything tends to prove that future 
researches will result in tlie discoveiy of intennediate forms, or 
genera of animals which are now wanting to fill up the gap existing 
between the genera Coryphodon and Lophiodon. M. Hebert has 
completed the entire dental system of the foraier, by the study of 
ninety teeth fomid in a more or less perfect state of preservation. 
Of these the canine teeth are more separated from the incisive 
than in the Tapir ; they are strong and very characteristic, resem- 
bling those of no other known animal living or fossiL It is now 
almost certain that there exist two species of Coryphodon ; the 
first, called by Professor Owen, Coryphodon Eocenus, being more 
than twice as large as the second species, which M. Hebert has 
named Coryphodon Owenii. The latter of these two species was 
certainly a larger animal than the Indian Tapir, the former must 
therefore have been a most prodigious beast. 
Whereas, in some instances, fossil remains and structures of 
organised bemgs are found perfectly presened, even in their 
minutest details, in others the animal or plant has left nothing 
behind save a faint impression of its tissues, engraven on the 
hard sandstone or argillaceous rock whUst still in a soft state ; 
one of the earliest discoveries of these impressions was made in 
Saxony, near Hildburghausen, by M. Kaup who found them on 
the surface of some slabs of variegated sandstone belonging to 
the Trias fonnation. M, Kaup and Alexander Von Humboldt 
regarded them as impressions of the feet of certain Mammalia to 
which the name Cheiratherium was given. This was rather a 
starthng assertion, as no remains of Mammalia had ever been 
found in more ancient strata than the Tertiary. — Professor Owen, 
however, is of opinion that the foot piints in question were made 
by gigantic Batrachians. — Humboldt made known this important 
discovery to the Paris Academy of Sciences on the 17 th of August, 
1835. Shortly afterwards numerous tridactyle markings were ob- 
served in the Valley of the Connecticut, but these appeared to 
have been produced by biped animals, and were doubtless impres- 
sions left on the soft mud of the Trias by certain varieties of 
extinct birds, whereas the fomier were positively the marks of 
quadrupeds — whether Mammalia or not remains to be leanit. M. 
