On the geology of the lower or northern part of the province of Moray : its history, present state of inquiry, and points for future examination / by George Gordon.

  • Gordon, George, 1801-1893.
Date:
1859
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the geology of the lower or northern part of the province of Moray : its history, present state of inquiry, and points for future examination / by George Gordon. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    sent to Agassiz.” And, in a letter Dr Malcolmson sent us from London, of date the 13th May following, he says, “ He” (Mr Murchison, who then paid a visit to Paris) “ took the winged creature with him—two specimens. If you can get the use of any others showing its structure, I should like to have them here before the first week of June. I have promised to draw up a short account of our discoveries, &c.” “ P.S.—Agassiz is to be here in a few weeks, and his painter is now here.” Of the same date (London, 13th May 1839), he writes to Mr Stables, “ I was sorry to find Mr Murchison setting off this morning for the Continent. He, however, met Mr Lonsdale on Saturday, and we looked at a few of our dis- coveries, and he was astonished beyond measure, urged an imme- diate memoir, which I have promised for Wednesday four weeks, the last meeting—the next one being full. Mr Murchison said he and Sedgwick had no notion that organic remains lay under their feet;—admits all my inferences as to relation of rocks. The strange creature excites more of their surprise and interest; and I have allowed Mr Murchison to take two good specimens to afford work for the Parisians, and also Steven’s drawings,” &c. “If you have any good winged creatures, pray send them by next steamer.” The following extract from his paper, read before the Geological Society of London, 5th June of the same yeai*, will show' how broadly he had drawn the line of demarcation between “ the winged creature ” and any previously known form of fossil from the Old Red Sand- stone :—“ I have ascertained, by comparisons with numerous specimens, that they (viz., the fossil fish of the Old Red Sand- stone of Moray) belong to the same genera and species which are found in Orkney, Caithness, Cromarty, and Gamrie—■ the most common belonging to the genera Dipterus, Dip- lopterus, Cheiracanthus, Cheirolepis, Osteoiepis; a very im- portant fossil, belonging to an undescribed genus of Ray, to be named by M. Agassiz, Coccosteus; and the singular creature figured (No. ), which, notwithstanding its ano- malous form, I believe to be a fish. Regarding this very remarkable fossil I propose to submit some observations at another time; but would now call attention to the part of the bony structure on which the arms rest, resembling