M.P., W. G. Lumley, Q.C., J. MacClelland, Dr. F. J. Mouat, W. Newmarch, F.R.S., R. H. I. Palgrave, R. H. Patterson, F. Purdy, W. H. Smith, M. P., T. Sopwith, F.R.S., Col. W. H. Sykes, M.P., F.R.S., Ernest Seyd, W. Tayler, Prof. Jacob Waley. Treasurer-J. T. Hammick. Honorary secretaries— W. G. Lumley, Q.C., F. Purdy, Jacob Waley.

THE Winchester College Natural History Society, founded on March 12, 1870, has just issued its first Report, which includes some useful papers, and botanical, entomological, and palæontological lists of the neighbourhood. It gives promise of good and useful work to be done in future years.

We have received the thirty-eighth annual report of the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society. As might be expected from the locality of the society, the majority of the papers bear on subjects connected with mining and metallurgy; though there are also some meteorological tables, and a useful list of addenda to the fauna of the county. A marked feature of the report is the number of woodcuts illustrative of various adaptations of machinery, &c., connected with the subjects of the papers.

DR. LAUDER LINDSAY has reprinted his essay on the Physiology and Pathology of Mind in the Lower Animals, in which he insists that the mind of the lower animals does not differ in kind from that of man; and that they possess the same affections, virtues, moral sense, and capacity for education, and are liable to the same kinds of mental disorders.

99.66

MR. W. ROBINSON, author of "The Wild Garden,' Alpine Flowers for English Gardens," &c., publishes a useful Catalogue of Hardy Perennials, Bulbs, Alpine Plants, Annuals, Biennials, &c., intended as a help to exchanges between cultivators of hardy plants, analogous to those that have long been common among botanists.

WE have received Nos. 203-206 of the "Bücher-Verzeichniss" of Friedländer and Son, of Berlin, comprising the following subjects—"Geology, Mineralogy, and Crystallography," "Botany," "Zoology," and "Mathematics, Physics, Astronomy, and Technology."

MR. PENGELLY has reprinted two papers read before the Devonshire Association for the Advancement of Science, Litera

ture, and Art, "On the rainfall received at the same station by gauges at different heights above the ground," and "On the supposed influence of the moon on the rainfall," in which he thus sums up the conclusions arrived at:-" 1. That under unobjectionable conditions, and at the same station, less rain will be received by a gauge high above the ground than by one nearer the surface; 2. That the total defect will increase with increase of height; 3. That the defect will not increase so rapidly as the height." And again :-"The result of my observations then may be briefly summed up thus: At Torquay, the second quarter of the moon, or that which terminates on the day before each full moon, had the least number of wet days, the heaviest average daily rate of rain, and the greatest aggregate rainfall; whilst the third quarter, or that commencing on the day of each full moon, had the greatest number of wet days, the lightest average daily rate of rain, and the second greatest aggregate rainfall. The differences are but slight; but it must be borne in mind that the moon's meteorological influence can be but slight. The results, however, do not accord with any of those mentioned by the authors so largely quoted at the commencement of this paper, yet they are such, and only such, as are calculated to induce any one to pause before giving an opinion for or against the alleged connection of the moon with our rainfall. Perhaps I cannot better conclude than by echoing the words of M. Arago, 'The subject requires to be examined afresh.""

It is reported that about June 7, an earthquake took place on the south coast of Asia Minor, opposite Rhodes, resulting in the almost total destruction of the small town of Marmaritza.

STRONG earthquakes continue in Peru. There was one in Arequipa on April 11. The movements were from east to west, and the duration forty to fifty seconds. It is worthy of notice that on the same April 11 two slight shocks of earthquake were felt at Rangoon, in Burmah, the direction being from north to south. On the night of the 16th another earthquake was felt.

EARTHQUAKE shocks were felt on May 21st in the vicinity of Rochester and Buffalo, in the state of New York; at Augusta, in Georgia; and at Quebec, Ottawa, and other points in Canada.

THE remote island called Sunday Island, in the Pacific, has been subjected to a terrible volcanic eruption so that the inhabitants have been removed to Norfolk Island, to join the descendants of the Bounty Mutineers.

ON February 22 several shocks of earthquake were felt at Puno, in Peru, and on March 4 a slight earthquake of thirty seconds at Arequipa after several rainy days.

ON February 7 two distinct shocks of earthquake were felt in the department of Minititlan, in Mexico, followed by a wave rising one foot.

AMONG the late remarkable disturbances in the Pacific basin are to be numbered those affecting the waters of the ocean around the guano Islands of Guanape on the Peruvian coast, which took place on the 5th of February. During the whole of that day the sea was much agitated, though nothing particular was noted in the tides. On the morning of the 6th there was something strange about the currents, with a westerly wind freshening with dangerous force. The winds and currents ruling along the Peruvian coast are from the S. E., but on the 6th this was not so, for they veered round and came from the W. at six miles an hour (? currents). Then it was noticed that as the day grew on the currents seemed to flow in from all directions, forming numerous whirlpools, while alarm for the shipping was caused by the increasing strength of the west wind. The nights of the 6th and 7th were consequently times of alarm to the masters of phenomena had a great resemblance to those at Arica and the the guano ships, which were dashed against each other. The Chincha Islands on the 15th of August, 1868. On the 9th of February the appearances were calmer, and the wind veered round to S. E.

AT Pichicani, in Peru, an extraordinary meteor appeared on February 12. It was of a red colour, balloon-shaped, with the end or neck pointed to the earth, and exploded as it reached the surface, leaving a dark cloud on the plain, injuring the roofs of several huts, and knocking down a fence of about 500 yards belonging to a farm. Among the fragments of this meteorite were found dead fish of several species, supposed to have been lifted out of the river. Similar phenomena had been observed near Huacochullo and Atucachi.

INDIAN papers report that the tea prospects in Darjeeling this year are so favourable that up to the present time (May) the crop has been from twice to three times what it was at that date last season.

THE report of the Curator of the Natal Botanic Garden for 1870 states that there had been shipped to various public and private gardens 5 Ward's cases, 22 boxes, and II parcels, and that there had been received 13 Ward's cases, 9 boxes, and 22 parcels.

It is reported from Chile that the Planchon Pass across the

Andes, the main line from Chile to Buenos Ayres, has been disturbed for about three miles by the eruption of hillocks.

AN Australian paper states that a live frog had been brought to the office that had been found three or four days before incased in the solid rock, in the drive of the Sultan mine, Barry's Reef, at a depth of 400ft. below the surface. The little animal looked bright-eyed and very lively, and was apparently none the worse for its long term of solitary imprisonment.

SCIENCE IN AMERICA *

THE forthcoming number of the American Journal of Science will contain an extremely interesting announcement in regard to American palæontology, namely, the discovery by Prof. Marsh in the Cretaceous beds of the Rocky Mountain region, of a huge pterodactyl, or flying lizard. This form has long been known as characteristic of the deposits of Europe, and has always attracted much attention from its combination of the characters of the bird and reptile; but until this announcement by Prof. Marsh the family was not supposed to be represented in the New World. The addition therefore of the pterodactyl, to the list of American genera, shows a marked increase in paleonto. logical affluence, and gives additional point to the statements made some time ago, that America, instead of being greatly inferior to the Old World in the variety of its vertebrate fossil remains, now bids fair to greatly exceed it in this respect. The name assigned to this new species is "Pterodactylus Oweni" (in honour of Prof. Richard Owen of London), and it is believed to have had an expanse between the tips of the wings of at least twenty feet.-We regret to learn that during the recent revolution on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec a large number of valuable collections in natural history, made for the Smithsonian Institution by its correspondent in that region, Prof. Sumichrast, were entirely destroyed in the course of the conflicts of the opposing parties.-The annual report of the Smithsonian Institution for 1869 has, after an unusual delay, just made its appearance from the public printing-office, and contains the customary variety of interesting matter, which has made this report so much sought after by persons of scientific tastes in the United States. Preceded by the secretary's usual report of the operations of the Institution for the year, it contains in an appendix numerous articles, partly original, and partly translations from such foreign journals as are not readily accessible to the American student. Among these may be mentioned biographies of Thomas Young, Augustus Bravais, Von Martius, and Marianni; an important original paper by Dr. Sterry Hunt on the chemistry of the earth; and one by Marey on the phenomena of flight in the animal kingdom; an extended paper by General Simpson, upon the march of Coronado in search of the seven cities of Cibola; one by Sir John Lubbock, on the social and religious condition of the lower races of man, &c. The report is in no way inferior in interest to its predecessors. -Salt Lake City has lately been the scene of considerable activity, in connection with the arrival there of several government exploring parties, for the purpose of fitting out for their summer's campaign. Among these may be mentioned Mr. Clarence King, who continues his geological and topographical exploration of the fortieth parallel eastward through Colorado; Major Powell, who renews his examination of the canons of Green River and the Colorado, and who is detained at Salt Lake City in consequence of the late melting of the mountain snows, the low stage of water preventing him from passing through the canons; and a portion of Prof. Hayden's party is also at the same place collecting animals and supplies for a visit to the Yellow Stone region.—By advices from South America we learn that on the 25th of April last Chili was visited by two of the severest earthquakes that have been experienced in the country since 1851. The first shock in Valparaiso was not preceded by any warning sound, and its suddenness and intensity created considerable alarm, the streets of the city being filled in a short time by people who rushed out from their dwellings in a state of indescribable confusion.-Many of our readers are familiar with the names of Mr. Thomas Say, of Philadelphia, and Mr. C. A. Leseur, as having been among the most prominent of our naturalists during the early part of the present century, and as having added many new species to the lists. The labours of Mr. Say were directed largely toward the invertebrata, embracing more particularly the insects, shells, and crustaceans. Many of * Communicated by the Scientific Editor of Harper's Weekly.

his explorations were in the vicinity of Beesley's Point, New Jersey, where species were obtained by him that have ever sinc remained almost unknown to science. Several examinations have been more recently made on the New Jersey coast, for the express purpose of recovering these forms; and one of the most successful was prosecuted last spring, under the direction of Prof. Verrill, of Yale College, who, with several companions, spent a week at Somers Point and Beesley's Point. The results of their labours were much greater than they had anticipated, as they not only obtained a large proportion of all the missing forms, but secured quite a number of new species, and detected the occurrence, for the first time, of others previously known as belonging much farther south, among them two echinoderms, of which Cape Hatteras was the limit previously ascertained. Their "catch" for the week summed up about 175 species of marine animals-about 25 of fishes, 50 of crustaceans, 25 of worms, 50 of mollusks, and 15 of radiates and sponges.

MR. BENTHAM'S ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS TO THE LINNEAN SOCIETY (Continued from page 152)

GERMANY, or rather Central Europe from the Rhine to the Carpathians and from the Baltic to the Alps, is, as to the greater part of it, a continuation of that generally uniform but gradually changing biological region which covers the Russian empire. It is not yet affected by those peculiar western races which either stop short of the Rhine and Rhone or only here and there cross these rivers with a few stragglers; the mountains, however, on its southern border show a biological type different from either of those which limit the Russian portion, indicating in many respects, as I observed in 1869, a closer connection with the Scandinavian and high northern than with the Pyrenean to the west or the Caucasian to the east. The verifying and following up these indications gives a special interest to the study of German races, their variations and affinities. In so far as formal specific distinctions are concerned, all plants and animals, with the exception of a few of those whose minute size enables them long to escape observation, may now be considered as well known in Germany as in France and England; and in Germany especially the investigation of anatomical and physiological characters has of late years contributed much to a more correct appreciation of those distinctions and of the natural relations of organic races. But much remains still for the systematic biologist, and especially the zoologist, to accomplish. Among the very numerous floras of the country, both general and local, there are several which have been worked out with due reference to the vegetation of the immediately surrounding regions, but corresponding complete faunas do not appear to exist. A few in some branches have been commenced; but in these, as in the numerous papers on more or less extended local zoology, as far as I can perceive, animals, and especially insects, seem to be considered only in respect of the forms they assume within the region treated of, frequently with a very close critical study of variations or races of the lowest grades, but neglecting all comparison with the forms a species may assume or be represented by in adjoining or distant countries.

Germany holds a first rank amongst civilised nations in respect of her biological works in most departments; they probably exceed in bulk those of any other country. Her publishi. g scientific academies and other associations, her zoological museums and gardens, her botanical herbaria and university gardens, her zoologists and botanists of world-wide reputation, are far too numerous to be here particularised. She excels all other nations in the patient and persevering elaboration of minute details, although she must yield to the French in respect of clearness and conciseness of methodical exposition. Her speculative tendencies are well known, aud the great impulse given to them since the spread of "Darwinismus" appears to have thrown systematic biology still further into the background; the sad events of the last twelvemonth have also temporarily suspended or greatly interfered with the peaceful course of science. Thus the zoological works contained in the lists I have received are almost all dated in 1868 or 1869, and have been already analysed in the reports of Wiegmann's "Archiv" and in the 5th and 6th volumes of the "Zoological Record," and the principal ones relating to exotic zoology will have to be referred to further In Systematic Botany also but little of importance has been published within the last ten years beyond the great Brasiliensis," which, since the death of Dr. v. Martius, has been

on.

"Flora

Memoirs of the General Helvetic Society (vol. xxiv.) a review of the genus Theobroma, after having compared his specimens in the herbaria of Kew, Berlin, and Geneva.

The biological interest of the Mediterranean Region, which includes Southern Europe, the north coast of Africa, and those lands vaguely termed the Levant, is in many respects the opposite of that of the great Russian empire. Extending from the Straits of Gibraltar to the foot of the Caucasus and Lebanon, over 40 to 45 degrees of longitude, by 10 to 12 degrees of latitude, from the southern declivities of the Pyrenees, of the Alps, the Scardus, and the Balkan, to the African shores, it shows, indeed, a certain uniformity of vegetation through the whole of this length and breadth; but it has evidently been the scene of great and frequent successive geological convulsions and disturbances, which, whilst they have wholly or partially destroyed some of the races most numerous in individuals, have at the same time so broken up the surface of the earth as to afford great facilities for the preservation or isolation of others represented by a comparatively small number of individuals. The consequence is that there is probably no portion of the northern hemisphere in the Old World, of equal extent, where the species altogether, and especially the endemic ones, are more numerous, none, I believe, which contains so many dissevered species (those which occupy several limited areas far distant from each other), and certainly none where there are so many strictly local races, species or even genera, occupying in few or numerous individuals single stations limited sometimes to less than a mile. In all these respects the Mediterranean region far exceeds, absolutely as well as relatively, the great Russian region, which has three times its length and twice its breadth; it presents, also, perhaps almost as great a contrast to a more southern tract of uniform vegetation extending across the drier portion of Africa and Arabia as far as Scinde. This diversified endemic and local character exemplified in the plants of the Mediterranean region has, as far as I can learn, been observed also in insects.

Of the three great European peninsulas which form the principal portion of the region, the Italian is the narrowest and has the least of individual character in its biology, but it is the most central one, and, including its continental base with the declivity of the Alps, may be taken as a fair type of the region generally; it is also by far the best known. Italy was the first amongst European nations to acquire a name in the pursuit of natural science after emerging from the barbarism of the middle ages; and although she has since been more devoted to art, and has allowed several of the more northern states far to outstrip her in science, she has still, amidst all her vicissitudes, produced a fair share of eminent physiologists as well as systematic zoologists and botanists; and within the last few years the cultivation of biology appears to have received a fresh impulse. It is only to be hoped that it may not be seriously checked by local and political intrigues, which appear to have succeeded, in one instance at least, in conferring an important botanical post on the least competent of the several candidates. Amongst the various publishing academies and associations mentioned in my address of 1865, the Italian Society of Natural Sciences at Milan issues a considerable number of papers on Italian zoology; and a few others in zoology and paleontology are scattered over the publications of the Academies of Turin and Venice and of the Technical Institute of Palermo. From the lists I have received, there appear to have been recent catalogues of Sicilian and Modenese birds by Doderlein in the "Palermo Journal," of Italian Araneida and Modenese fishes by Canestrini in the "Milanese Transactions," and of Italian Diptera, commenced by Rondani in the Bulletin of the Italian Entomological Society. Malacology, so peculiarly important in the study of the physical history of the Mediterranean region, has produced numerous papers, chiefly in the Milanese Transactions, and in Gentiluomo's" Bulletino Malacologica," and "Biblioteca Malacologica" published at Pisa. I also learn that at the time of the decease of the late Prof. Paolo Savi, in the beginning of April, the manuscript of his "Ornitologia Italiana plete, and had just been placed in the printer's hands.

was com

In Botany, Parlatore's elaborate "Flora Italiana" has continued to make slow progress. We have received up to the second part of the fourth volume, reaching as far upward as Euphorbiaceae, having commenced with the lower orders. The od Journ 1 of Botany ceased with the year 1847, as presumed to have been the case when I mentioned it in 1865, and has since been replaced by a "Nuovo Giornale Botanico Italiano," which continues, with tolerable regularity, issuing four parts in the year,

the last received being the second of the third volume. The most valuable of the systematic papers it contains are Beccari's descriptions of some of his Bornean collections. Delpino, well known for his interesting dichogamic observations, as well as for some rather imaginative speculations, has also contributed to systematic botany a monograph of Marcgraviaceæ, but, unfortunately, without sufficient command of materials for the compilation of a useful history of that small but difficult group, and with a useless imposition of new names to forms which he thinks may have been already published, but has not the means of verifying. De Notaris, under the auspices of the municipality of Genoa, has published a synopsis of Italian Bryology, forming a separate octavo volume of considerable bulk.

Of the other two great European peninsulas I have little to say, notwithstanding their great comparative biological importance. The Western or Iberian Peninsula is the main centre of that remarkable Western flora to which I specially alluded in 1869, and which, more perhaps than any other, requires comparison with entomological and other faunas. But Spain is sadly in arrear in her pursuit of science. With great promise in the latter half of the last century, and certainly the country of many eminent naturalists, especially botanists, she has now for so long been subject to chronic pronunciamentos that she leaves the natural riches of her soil to be investigated by foreigners. Willkomm and Lange's " Prodromus Flore Hispanicæ," which, when I last mentioned it, was in danger of remaining a fragment, has since been continued, and, it is hoped, will shortly be completed by the publication of one more part. I have no notes on any recent zoological papers beyond Steindachner's Reports on his Ichthyological tour in Spain and Portugal, and the Catalogues of the Zoological Museum of Lisbon publishing by the Lisbon Academy of Sciences. The Eastern Peninsula, Turkey, and Greece, with the exception of some slight attempts at Athens, has no endemic biological literature, and, with its present very unsatisfactory social state, affords little attraction to foreign visitors. The Levant, in respect of Botany at least, has has been much more fully investigated; but there, as in Turkey, much yet remains to be done; and pending the issue of Boissier's second volume already mentioned, I know of nothing of any im. portance in the biology of the East Mediterranean region as having been worked out within the last two or three years. a hiatus, however, and yet a link between the Indian and the European Floras and Faunas, it will am ply repay the study to be bestowed upon it by future naturalists.

(To be continued)

ASTRONOMY

As

On the Great Sun-spot of June 1843 * ONE of the largest and most remarkable spots ever seen on the sun's disc appeared in June 1843, and continued visible to the naked eye for seven or eight days. The diameter of this spot was, according to Schwabe, 74,000 miles; so that its area was many times greater than that of the earth's surface. Now, it has been observed during a number of sun-spot cycles that the larger spots are generally found at or near the epoch of the greatest numbers. The year 1843 was, however, a minimum epoch of the elevenyear cycle. It would seem, therefore, that the formation of this extraordinary spot was an anomaly, and that its origin ought not to be looked for in the general cause of the spots of Schwabe's cycle. As having a possible bearing on the question under consideration, let us reler to a phenomenon observed at the same moment, on the 1st September, 1859, by Mr. Carrington, at Redhill, and Mr. Hodgson, at Highgate. "Mr. Carrington had directed his telescope to the sun, and was engaged in observing his spots, when suddenly two intensely luminous bodies burst into view on its surface. They moved side by side through a space of about thirty-five thousand miles, first increasing in brightness, then fading away. In five minutes they had

vanished. It is a remarkable circumstance that the observations at Kew show that on the very day, and at the very hour and minute of this unexpected and curious phenomenon, a moderate but marked magnetic disturbance took place, and a storm, or great disturbance of the magnetic element, occurred four hours after midnight, extending to the southern hemisphere.' The opimon has been expressed by more than one astronomer that this phenomenon was produced by the fall of meteoric matter upon the sun's surface. Now the fact may be worthy of From the "American Journal of Science and Arts," vol. i., April 1871.

note that the comet of 1843, which had the least perihelion distance of any on record, actually grazed the solar atmosphere about three months before the appearance of the great sun-spot of the same year. The comet's least distance from the sun was about 65,000 miles. Had it approached but little nearer, the resistance of the atmosphere would probably have brought its entire mass to the solar surface. Even at its actual distance it must have produced considerable atmospheric disturbance. But the recent discovery that a number of comets are associated with meteoric matter, travelling in nearly the same orbits, suggests the inquiry whether an enormous meteorite following in the comet's train and having a somewhat less perihelion distance, may not have been precipitated upon the sun, thus producing the great disturbance observed so shortly after the comet's perihelion passage.

Bloomington, Indiana

DANIEL KIRKWOOD

SCIENTIFIC SERIALS

Of the Sitzungsberichte der naturwissenschaftlichen Gesellschaft Isis in Dresden we have received the concluding part of the volume for 1869, containing the proceedings of the Society for the months of October, November, and December. Its contents are as usual of the most varied character, and we shall therefore notice only a few of the more prominent papers. In the section for prehistoric archæology Dr. Mehwald gave an interesting notice of the researches made in Norway by a young student, M. Lerange, and further a general account of ancient mining and mining implements. Under the zoological section we find an abstract by Prof. Günther of the faunistic results of recent deep-sea dredgings, founded of course chiefly upon the reports of MM. Pourtales and Agassiz, and our countrymen Messrs. Thomson, Jeffreys, and Carpenter. Under the head of mathematics, physics, and chemistry, is a paper by M. F. Otto on the calamine deposits in Upper Silesia, which would have better taken its place as a geologico-mineralogical paper. portant botanical paper is the revision by Dr. L. Rabenhorst of the Cryptogamia collected in the East (especially in Fersia) by Prof. Haussknecht, in which the author catalogues a considerable number of Fungi and Lichens, and describes several new species and a new genus of the former class. The new genus Seirosporium belongs to the Discomycetous family Phacidiacei, and the species S. ocellatum, which is figured, lives upon dry stems of Astragalus deinacanthus Boiss. The new species described belong to the genera Synchytrium (2), Ustilago (2), Uromyces

An im

by some mineralogical notices by Prof. Rammelsberg treating of the meteoric stone of Chantonnay, of the sulphide of iron of meteoric irons, the composition of Lievrite, and the Anorthite rock of the Basto. In the concluding paper of this number M. G. Berendt notices the occurrence of Cretaceous and Tertiary deposits near Grodno on the Niemen.

SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES

LONDON

Royal Society, June 15.-"On the Fossil Mammals of Aus. tralia. Part V. Genus Nototherium Ow." By Prof. R. Owen, F.R.S. The genus of large extinct Marsupial herbivores which forms the subject of the present paper, was founded on specimens transmitted (in 1842) to the author by the Surveyor-General of Australia, Sir Thomas Mitchell, C. B. They consisted of mutilated fossil mandibles and teeth. Subsequent specimens confirmed the distinction of Nototherium from Diprotodon, and more especially exemplified a singular and extreme modification of the cranium of the former genus. A detailed description is given of this part from specimens of portions of the skull in the British Museum, and from a cast and photographs of the entire cranium in the Australian Museum, Sydney, New South Wales. The descriptions of the mandible, and of the dentition in both upper and lower jaws, are taken from actual specimens in the British Museum, in the Museum of the Natural History at Worcester, and in the Museum at Adelaide, S. Australia, all of which have been confided to the author for this purpose. The results of comparisons of these fossils of Nototherium with the answerable parts in Diprotodon, Macropus, Phascolarctos, and Phascolomys, are detailed.

Characters of three species, Nototherium Mitchelli, N. inerme, and N. Victoria, are defined chiefly from modifications of the mandible and mandibular molars. A table of the localities where fossil Nototherium has been found, with the dates of discovery, and the names of the finders or donors is appended. The paper is illustrated by subjects for nine quarto Plates.

"On the Organisation of the Fossil Plants of the Coal-measures. Part II. Lepidodendra and Sigillaria." By Prof. The Lepidodendron selaginoides W. C. Williamson, F.R.S. described by Mr. Binney, and still more recently by Mr. Carruthers, is taken as the standard of comparison for numerous other forms. It consists of a central medullary axis composed of a combination of transversely barred vessels with similarly barred cells; the vessels are arranged without any special linear order. This tissue is closely surrounded

(1), Dothidea (1), Melogramma (1), and Rhytisma (1).

THE fourth part of vol. xxii. of the Zeitschrift der deutschen geologischen Gesellschaft (1870) contains several very important memoirs. The first of these is upon new and little known Crustacea from Solenhofen by Prof. Kunth, illustrated with two plates, and includes detailed descriptions of the Stomatopod Sculda pennata (Münst), and of two new species of the same genus; and among the Isopods of Urda rostrata (Münst) form. ing the type of a new family Urdaida, Reckur punctatus (Münst), also referred to the genus Urda, Narauda anomala (Münst), and a species of Aga. -From M. Lemberg we find a detailed and valuable chemico-geological investigation of some calcareous deposits of the Finnish Island of Kimito, in which the author not only describes the chemical composition and mechanical condition of the rocks under consideration, but discusses at considerable length some interesting points connected with the general theories of rock-formation.-M. E. Kayser commences a series of studies of the Devonian of the district of the Rhine with a disquisition on the deposits of that age in the neighbourhood of Aix la Chapelle.-M. C. Weiss publishes an investigation of the Odontotopterides, in which he discusses the forms to be referred to that group, and comes to the conclusion that the whole may be placed under the genus Odontopter is, which he divides into two sections, Xenopterides and Callipterides, the former including as sub-genera, Mixoneura, Xenopteris, and Lescuropteris; and the latter Callipteris, Anotopteris, Callipteridium. He gives a list of the species referable to each of these sub-genera, with remarks upon their characters and distribution; several of them are described as new and figured, with others, in the three plates with which the memoir is illustrated.—These papers are followed

smaller size, and arranged in vertical lamine which radiate from within outwards. These lamina are separated by short vertical piles of cells, believed to be medullary rays. In the transverse section the intersected mouths of the vessels form radiating lines, and the whole structure is regarded as an early type of an exogenous cylinder; it is from this cylinder alone that the vascular bundles going to the leaves are given off. This woody zone is surrounded by a very thick cortical layer, which is parenchy matous at its inner part, the cells being without definite order, but externally they become prosenchymatous, and are arranged in radiating lines, which latter tendency is observed to manifest itself whenever the bark cells assume the prosenchymatous type. Outside the bark is an epidermal layer, separated from the rest of the bark by a thin bast-layer of prosenchymna, the cells of which are developed into a tubular and almost vascular form; but the vessels are never barred, being essentially of the fibrous type. Externally to this bast-layer is a more superficial epiderm of parenchyma, supporting the bases of leaves, which consist of similar parenchymatous tissue. Tangential sections of these outer cortical tissues show that the so-called "decorticated" specimens of Lepidodendra and of other allied plants are merely examples that have lost their epidermal layer, or had it converted into coal; this layer, strengthened by the bast-tissue of its inner surface, having remained as a hollow cylinder, when all the more internal structures had been destroyed or removed.

From this type the auther proceeds upwards through a series of examples in which the vessels of the medullar become separated from its central cellular portions and retreat towards its periphery, forming an outer cylinder of medullary vessels, which are arranged without order, and enclose a defined cellular axis. At the same