NOTES AXD QUEETES. 
Ill 
New Canadian Lowee Silurian Fossils. — Mr. Billings has described, 
in a bulletin recently issued (Montreal, Kovember, 1861), the followins: nevr 
species from the Potsdam group (Primordial -zone), at Straits of Belle 
Isle, north-east coast of America : — Valceojpliyciis incipiens, Archceocyatlius 
atlanticus, A. Minganensis, Oholus Lahradoriciis, O. chroniatica, O.cingu- 
lata, Conocephalites miser, Bathyurus senectus. B. parvulus, SaUereUa 
rugosa, S. ohtusa, and S. p^ilchella * From Vermont : — Palcpophycus 
congregatus, Orthisina fistinata, Camerella antiquata, Couocephalites 
Adamsi, C. teucer, C. arenostis, and C. viilcanus. From rocks of the age 
of the Trenton, Chazy, and Black Eiver Limestone : — Eospongia Roemerii, 
E. varians, Astylospongia parvida, Lingula Perryi, Lituites Fanisworthi, 
L. imperator, and Ampyx Halli. 
The new genera ?ive Eospongia, ArchcpocyatJms, OholeUa, and SaltereUa. 
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 Theoa, Morris, and Pnginnculus, Bar- 
rande. 
Carboniferous Beds of Dinant. — M. E. Dupont, a young naturalist, 
has collected an immense quantity of fossils from the carboniferous lime- 
stone of Dinant. His notice, communicated to the Belgian Academy, com- 
mences with the description of twelve localities, Celles, Hayont, Furfooz, 
Fosses, Freyr, Pauquys, Matignolles, Flavion, Corenne, Yves, Anseremmo, 
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 M hich have been 
determined. Tv^o 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, 
namel}'-, the difference of the animal populations in very near localities 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 Remains in the Jura. — M. Chepard, one of the engineers 
of the railway now constructing in the vicinity of Poligny, has noticed in 
the ' Sentineile 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 
tlie bones, he considers to have been from thirty to forty metres (?) in 
length. 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, SchoUthns linearis and Barrandia {vel 
Ofjolvs) Thorn so iii, and B. {v. 0.) Vennojifana. 
