Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria Volume 1-2 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1889 Excerpt: ...but few organic remains were seen, except on the line of contact between them and the adjoining beds. The first bed in ascending order containing many fossils was F. From this bed were obtained several Tchthyodorulites, a portion of large Gyracanthux-tike spine, and a large bone belonging to the head of a Ganoid fish, with other large undetermined Ichthyic remains, now in the hands of Professor McCoy. A few scales, some an inch and a half in diameter, allied to Glyptolepis, and a tooth, about an inch in length of a conical form, curved and hollow, with a few more fossils. But, owing to one part of the matrix being very hard, and the other quite soft, great difficulty was experienced, when after long search specimens were obtained, in preventing their destruction in relieving them sufficiently of the matrix to be recognisable. In H, there are, here and there, patches an inch in thickness of comminuted fish-scales and bones, covered by a yellowish, pale green film; and in this film, as also occasionally in the lower parts of the bed, several fish were found, resembling (Joumolepid.es sweeti (McCoy), similar to that found near to and in No. 2. But though so thin, yet so refractory was this film found to be, that even when the dim outline of a fish could be seen, it was often found impossible to clear the film away and get at the fish without destroying it. However, by removing a few scores of tons of earth and rock, and after expenditure of much labour, several specimens were secured, containing different parts, and in the aggregate, every part of the fish. It was here that a large heterocercal tail was found, measuring about six inches across, apparently Cosmolepides sweeti (McCoy). It was also near this horizon that the first larger fish of the same species ...