VI.—On the Discovery of a nearly entire Rhizodus in the Wardie Shales

Abstract

The fact of the occurrence of Rhizodus at Wardie has been known for a good many years. It appears as an addendum to a list of fossils from that locality published in 1861 by the Geological Survey of Scotland. The specimens hitherto collected, however, have been the merest fragments, consisting principally of detached scales. Almost the first fossil obtained by the writer from Wardie was a badly-preserved fragment of the jaw of Rhizodus containing teeth. Since then a few fragments have occurred referable to the same genus. From the fact that these were invariably found along a particular part of the beach, the suspicion was gradually awakened that they had been derived from a common source. This suspicion was confirmed by the discovery of the remarkable specimen which is the subject of this notice. It was found lying in the direction of the strike of the beds, its head seawards, its tail to the shore.