78 
NATURAL HISTORY. (FoSsils.) 
[north 
bones of its gigantic variety on the top of the same Case and in Case 2, 
such as the head cut transversely to show the intenial structure of the 
jaws; the carpal bones of one of the extremities, &c.: all from the 
lias of Lyme Regis;—a new small species, I. latifrons^ in which the 
spiracle on the top of the head, between the eyes, claims particular no¬ 
tice, from Balderton in the county of Nottingham, presented by Dr. 
Bland ;—the splendid specimens of 1. intermedins, I. lonchiodon, I. 
communis, all from Lyme Regis; the I. longipinnis and I. longiros- 
tris from Whitby, &c. 
The remaining Wall Cases are under arrangement. 
The Table Cases under the windows are also devoted to fossil 
remains. One large Table is occupied by Fossil Sponges (Amor^ 
phozoa), from the oolite (“ Spongitenkalk ”) of Germany, and the 
greensand and chalk of England: the latter chiefly from the Man- 
tellian Collection. 
Of the small Table Cases, one is occupied, for the present, by Cro¬ 
codilian remains from the Eocene formation of Hordle, on the coast of 
Hampshire, presented by Searles Wood, Esq.; besides which, there are 
some Turtle remains from the same locality, and others from Brackle- 
sham and Sheppey. 
The remaining Tables contain a series of Bird bones from New 
Zealand, found in a deposit, which there are good grounds for regarding 
as of very recent origin. Part of the series was collected by Mr. Percy 
Earl, in the Middle Island, and the remainder by Mr. \\ alter Mantell, 
in the North Island. They are referred to several species, and, indeed, ■ 
distinct genera of Birds, by Prof. Owen, some of which are still living 
in New Zealand, whilst others, it would appear, are extinct. Amongst 
the living species may be noticed the Notornis Mantellii (a gigantic 
species of the Rail family). This bird was originally only known to us 
through some portions of the skull and skeleton, found with the other 
fossil bones procured by Mr. W. Mantell,* but was subsequently dis¬ 
covered by the same gentleman to be still living in the Southern i 
Island, f The greater portion of the fossil bones, as determined by \ 
Prof. Owen, belong to a genus of birds to w^hich the Professor gives i 
the name of Dmornis: they w'ere wingless birds, and all of them of b 
large size, whilst one, the D. giganteus, was (as its name implies) of 
giganlic dimensions—probably 12 feet in height. 
Room V. 
. In the Table Cases of this Room are the fossil remains of various -i 
invertebrate animals. Cases 1 to 5 contain a series of Ammonites, ? 
arranged in the order of the strata from which they were derived, b 
Cases 9 and 10 contain an extensive suite of Ammonites and allied y 
shells (Scaphites, Crioceras, Ancyloceras, &c.), from the South of o 
* The specimens are fispired and described by Prof. Owen in the Zoplogical i 
Transactions, vo!s. iii. and iv., together with the other bones above referred to. 
t Up to this time but a .single specimen has been seen—the .-pscimen pirocured © 
by Mr. Mantell, which is how in the British Museum. The visitor will find a de- si 
tailed account of this bird, as well as of the fossil bones contained in the Cases, in i 
Dr. Mantell's work, entitled “ Fossils and their Teachings,” chapter ii. 
