410 
111 tellig eiice. 
scattered along tlie sliores of tlie Baltic. These facts prove, 
that this place, in former times, when covered with tlie waters 
of' the ocean, was nothing more than a submarine shallow ; and 
thus destroy the idea of a broken chain of granite fancied by 
some travellers. This height, however, is interesting to the 
geologist, on account of its being one of the highest points in 
the north of Europe, containing petrifactions of sea animals. 
The greatest height I met with in this district, during my 
journey in August 1807, is between the towns of Ostaschkow 
and Waldai, 1211.97 French feet above Astrachan, which is 
1050.84 above the level of the sea.” 
29. New Works o^iPetrrfactions. — 1. The well known geologist, 
Baron Von Schlotheim, is just about to publish an extensive 
work on petrifactions, and, judging from the accuracy and exten- 
sive knowledge of the author, it cannot fail to prove a valuable 
addition to this interesting branch of natural history. 2. Em- 
merling, the mineralogist, has also announced a work on the 
fossil organic remains met with in brown coal, and other new 
formations of the same description. 3. There has just been 
published at Leipzig, a work in folio, with numerous plates, 
entitled Geognostical Flora of a former world, by Graf Kasper 
von Sternberg. From the plates of this work, sent to the Wer- 
nerian Society by Count Breunner, the drawings appear to be 
faithfully executed, and many of the objects represented are of 
the same description with those so abundantly distributed in 
our coal-fields. 
ZOOLOGY. 
30. Ursus longirostris {Ursine Sloth^ Shaw.) — In the year 
1792, there was shewn in London, under the name Li(yn-mon^ 
sier^ an unknown animal from the neighbourhood of Patna in 
Bengal. Pennant and Shaw who examined it, said it had grin- 
ders and canine teeth, but no fore-teeth, and hence they refer- 
red it to the genus Bradypus or Sloth, and from its general re- 
semblance to the bear, named it Ursine Sloth, This erroneous 
opinion was adopted by several succeeding naturalists. Illiger 
referred it to the family Tardigrada, considering the description 
of Pennant and Shaw as correct ; but on account of the form 
and number of its teeth, and the form of its claws, he separated 
