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POPULAR SCIENCE REVIEW. 
walls, while the concentric lines of growth (numbering in this specimen 
sixteen, and marking the age of the plant) being crossed by medullary 
rays, left iio doubt that the plant referred to was a coniferous exogen. 
This discovery of Dr. Haughton’s is another argument against Mr. Jukes’ 
view, that there is a true Devonian system in Ireland. The sandstones 
of Ireland are essentially strata of the carboniferous system, and are per- 
fectly conformable with the limestone beds which overlie them. — Vide 
Dublin Quarterly Journal of Science, , April, 1864. 
The Fossils of the Bruniquel Gave . — It is very satisfactory to know that 
the human and other remains from this grotto have been purchased by the 
authorities of the British Museum. In January last Professor Owen 
proceeded to the cavern, and having examined it and observed the splendid 
collection of human and other bones which it contained, proceeded to 
bargain with the proprietors for the contents. The news of the professor’s 
visit having reached the ears of the French authorities, MM. Milne 
Edwards and Lartet were despatched on a commission of inspection. They 
also recognized the value of the discovery, and presently an offer was 
made from the French Government slightly outbidding that which was 
made by Professor Owen, under the necessary reserve of approval by the 
trustees. The proprietor, however, honourably adhered to his verbal 
treaty with the Professor, who telegraphed the assent of the trustees. This 
magnificent collection of fossils — some fifteen hundred, many still em- 
bedded in the calcified mould of mud in which they were found, beneath 
the stalagmite — is now deposited in the British Museum. It would ap- 
pear, from the communication which Professor Owen made to the Royal 
Society upon the subject, that some of the human remains stand high in 
the scale of organization. The skull cap which he found did not present 
the large frontal sinuses so remarkable in that from Neanderthal, nor did 
it exhibit any features of an inferior or transitional type. We hope that 
geologists generally may investigate this matter, and throw as much light 
upon it as has been already thrown upon the discovery of the Moulin- 
quignon jawbone. 
The Discovery of the Scales of Pteraspis is due to Mr. E. Ray Lankester, 
who lately read a paper on the tegumentary organs of this fish, before 
the Geological Society. In this communication, the author, after having 
pointed out the successive steps by which the genus Pteraspis came to be 
established, and the grounds on which the opinion as to its fish-nature 
rests,* proceeded to describe the scales in detail. These organs were found 
by Mr. Lankester at Cradley, near Malvern, and they alone were required 
to remove all doubt as to the affinities of the genus. The paper concluded 
with a description of the cephalic shield of Pteraspis rostralis. For 
further information on this subject we beg to refer our readers to Mr. 
Lankester’s article in the present number. See also The Geologist , 
June, 1864. 
Probable Fossils of Borneo. — In writing upon this subject, Mr. A. R. 
Wallace states his opinion that an exploration of the Borneo caves would 
be attended with results most profitable to geologic science. This island 
offers a field for exploration unequalled, perhaps, in the globe. Limestone 
caverns abound in it. There are several very extensive ones in the Sara- 
wak territory itself, and Mr. St. John mentions others in the Bruni coun- 
