Fossils from the Old Red Sandstone. 
37 
by about ^ in its greatest breadth, and exhibits a transverse, or rather 
radiating, series of eight depressions, gradually increasing in depth, and 
shovs^ing lines of punctures, corresponding, he supposed, to the rows of the 
projecting teeth ; and the fossil was all the more strikingly displayed 
from the colour of the sandstone being completely discharged around 
the cast, which appears as a patch of white, in the dull red of the sur- 
rounding stone. He sent the fossil for examination to Mr Hugh Miller 
a few months before his lamented death, and received, in reply, the fol- 
lowing interesting note : — 
" Shrubmount, 30th June 18/56. 
" My deah Sir, — Your fossil is the Old Red Ctenodus of Agassiz (his 
Coal Measure Ctenodus belongs to a different genus) ; but though he 
gives it (his Old Red Ctenodus) a generic standing of its own, it is in 
reality a portion of the previously described Dipterian genus. The Dip- 
terus had two triangularly arranged groups of teeth on its palate, and 
your specimen is a remarkably distinct impression made by one of these 
I could show you groups of teeth, were you to do me the pleasure of look- 
ing in upon me here, that would fit into your impression well nigh as 
exactly as a seal would into the wax which it had stamped. Your speci- 
men is the second of Dipterus which I have now seen from the Upper Old 
Red Sandstone. The first, — a gill cover,— is in the collection of Mr 
Patrick Duff of Elgin. I have been prostrated by another attack of my 
old enemy, inflammation of the lungs, and, after "being confined to my bed 
for a fortnight, am but slowly recovering. Portobello has many visitors 
at present ; but I have seen little of scientific men, and have had little 
of scientific conversation for the last three quarters of a twelvemonth ; 
and should you chance to come this way, it would gratify me much to 
have half an hour's talk with you among my fossils. Some of my Old 
Red ones would, I am sure, cast not a little light on the detached organ- 
isms of your south-country beds, — I am, my dear Sir, yours very truly, 
" Hugh Miller. 
"Dr John A. Smith." 
Wednesday, 22d December 1858. — William Riiind, Esq., President, 
in the Chair. 
J. W. Laidlay, Esq. of Seacliff, and John M. Mitchell, Esq., Mayville, 
Trinity, were elected members of the Society. 
The OfiSce- Bearers for the session were elected as follows : — 
