SOME ACCOUNT OF A SWINE PESTILENCE. 
677 
Beckles, who has detected in the Purbeck beds a considerable number 
of the remains of small mammals. The whole of them are, I believe, in 
the hands of our president. Professor Owen, for the determination of 
their generic and specific characters; but Dr. Falconer seems already to 
have recognised among them seven or eight distinct genera, some of 
them marsupial, and others probably placental, of the insectivorous 
order. I may also notice, as a matter of great palaeontological interest, 
the recent discovery of a new Ossiferous Cave, near Brixham, in 
Devonshire, of which some account is to be brought before us 
during this meeting. The past year has been fruitful in palaeontological 
researches. 
“ Professor Owen said that some time ago he was sent for to the 
north, to examine a fossilized tree, which had been found in digging 
the Jarrow Dock, which bore undoubted evidence of having been cut by 
human hands. It was supposed to be a most important discovery, as 
showing the antiquity of the human race, and at first everything appeared 
satisfactory. On prosecuting his inquiries, however, he learned that 
one of the navvies, not then on the works, was said to have discovered a 
similar tree in another part of the dock, which he cut, to lay down as a 
sleeper. The man was sent for; and, on his arrival, he declared that 
the tree pointed out was the one he had cut. It was endeavoured to be 
explained that that was impossible, as the place had not been excavated 
before; but, looking with supreme contempt upon the assembly of 
geologists and engineers, the man persisted in the identification of his 
own work, and exclaimed, “the top of the tree must be somewhere/ 5 — 
upon which he (Professor Owen) offered half-a-crown to the first navvy 
who would produce it. Away ran half-a-dozen of them ; and, in a few 
minutes, they returned with the top. This explained the mystery. The 
man had cut off the top with his spade ; the stump afterwards got 
covered up with silt, and, on being again uncovered, it was supposed to 
be a great discovery. Never had he so narrow an escape from intro- 
ducing a ‘new discovery 5 into science, and never had he a more for- 
tunate escape. 55 
For the observations above recorded we are principally 
indebted to the pages of The Athenaeum, Their extension 
would have been easy, but press of other matter and the 
necessary divisions of the Journal have deterred us from do- 
ing it. 
SOME ACCOUNT OE A SWINE PESTILENCE* 
We have often endeavoured to fix the attention of the 
readers of this Review on the importance of studying the 
relationships which may exist between the epizootic and the 
epidemic diseases. We have shown that man is sometimes 
connected by disease, as by a common tie, with his lower earth- 
mates. We have shown that through the inferior animal the 
higher animal may receive certain of his maladies, and the 
converse ; and we have tried to point out, that in a correct 
study of those epizootic diseases which are communicable, 
* ‘The North American Medico -Chirurgical Review/ May, 1858. 
xxxi. 90 
