Some Account of a Fossil Lately Found Near Christ-Church, in Hampshire; in a Letter to Dr. Maty, Sec. R. S. from the Hon. Daines Barrington, Vice-Pres. R. S.

XXI. Some Account of a Fossil lately found near Christ-Church, in Hampshire; in a Letter to Dr. Maty, Sec. R. S. from the Hon. Daines Barrington, Vice-Prof. R. S. Dear Sir, Read Feb. 4, 1773. I send herewith a fossil which was found in a cliff, near Christ-Church, in Hampshire, by the Rev. Mr. Howel, of Pool, and which Mr. Gough, F. A. S. desires may be shewn to the Royal Society, if it should be thought worthy their attention. [See Tab. VII.] I am very little versed in this branch of natural history; but as I am the unworthy channel of communication, I thought it my duty to procure the best information I was able, with regard to this very singular specimen. The shining divisions, upon the surface of the stone, seem to be the scales of a fish, which I should conceive to be the *Acus maxima squamosa*, engraved in Willoughby's History of Fish, Tab. p. 8. and described by Ray, in his Synopsis Piscium, p. 109. It appears by the catalogue of English fossils, in the collection of Dr. Woodward, that a still larger specimen of the same sort was found in Stansfield quarry, near Woodstock, though Dr. Woodward could only procure a single scale. V. II. p. 53. c. 24. Vol. LXIII. A a Single Single scales from the same quarry, are also to be seen in the noble collection of fossils, given by Mr. Brander, F. R. S. to the British Museum. Though this fish, therefore, is a stranger to our seas, yet its exuviae are by no means so to our cliffs and quarries. I am, Dear SIR, Your most faithful humble servant, Daines Barrington. P. S. Mr. Hunter, F. R. S. having seen the fossil at Crane-Court, happened to dissect a beaver's tail very soon afterwards, which he shewed me, as bearing a strong resemblance to the scaly divisions in this specimen; I cannot, however, but still think that the form of the scales in the Acus maxima squamosa of Willoughby is still nearer to it, than of those in a beaver's tail.