"It has been named patriofelis ulta, which signifies the ancestral cat that hath revenged itself." How it has avenged itself, or upon whom or wherefore, we do not learn. Still more remarkable is the Hyanodon, three species of which have been discovered in the Lower Miocene tertiaries of White River. In their anatomical character they approach at once the wolf, the tiger, the hyæna, the weasel, the racoon, and the opossum. Hyanodon horridus, three imperfect skulls of which have been found, was doubtless the most formidable carnivorous land animal of its time. Another of these missing links or intermediate forms is Dr. Leidy's "ruminant hog." Like the tame swine it was provided with incisors and canines, but its molars were constructed upon the pattern of living ruminants. They were four-toed, and unprovided with horns. The former development of the camel and of the horse tribe in America is most remarkable. The only camel-like animals at present existing in the western hemisphere are the llama and its congeners, in the mountainous parts of South America; yet in the valleys of the Niobrara and the Loup Fork are found the fossil remains of a number of species of extinct camels, one of which was of the size of the Arabian camel, a second about two-thirds as large, and a third smaller. In like manner no horses existed in America prior to its discovery by Columbus; yet Dr. Leidy reports twenty-seven species of Equide which lived on this continent prior to the advent of man, "about three times as many as are now found living throughout the world." Among the Pachydermata were a true hog as large as the African hippopotamus, five species of rhinoceros, a mastodon, and a large elephant not as yet discovered in any other part of the world. The author is inclined to infer, from the totality of the phenomena observed, that the Western continent is the original home of animal life, and instead of being the "New World" is older than the land in the Eastern hemisphere. The fossils found are remarkable for their beauty and perfection, and cannot have been transported from a distance or exposed to the action of turbulent waters, as they "seldom show any signs of having been water-worn, and the sharp points and angles are as perfect as in life." Turning from fossilised to living beings, we find an elaborate and interesting account of the Caloptenus spretus, or hateful grasshopper-a scourge in its native haunts, at least, more formidable even than the Colorado beetle, but fortunately less able to accommodate itself to differences of climate, elevation, and soil. Did space allow we might go on almost indefinitely multiplying interesting extracts from this volume. One defect in the getting up of the work we must beg to point out :-In many scientific books the heading to each page is a key to the subject-matter below. In others the heading of the right-hand page alone serves as a running table of contents, whilst that of the left-hand page merely repeats in brief the title of the book; but in the volume before us each page is merely headed "Geological Survey of the Territories," which makes it difficult to find any particular passage of which the reader is in quest.

No. 3 of vol. iii. of the "Bulletin of the United States Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories" contains articles on the comparative vocabulary of the Utah dialects; on the method of making stone weapons; on a peculiar type of eruptive mountains in Colorado; notes on the geology of the region of the Judith river, Montana, and on vertebrate fossils found near the Missouri: with a series of paleontological papers referring chiefly to Unionidæ, Physide, and other Mollusca. Among the fossils from the Judith river are a number of the bones of a large Deinosaurian reptile which show not merely Avian but also Mammalian affinities, such as the great coronoid process of the dentary bone, which is a feature unknown among birds and reptiles.

The "Miscellaneous Publications" include "Lists of Elevations, principally in that portion of the United States West of the Mississippi River." The number of summits in the Rocky Mountains ranging from 12,000 to 14,000 feet above the sea-level is remarkable, but greater heights are rarely attained. The loftiest peaks are Mount St. Elias, in Alaska, variously stated at from 16,938 to 19,500 feet above the sea-level, and Mount Cook, also in Alaska, 16,000 feet.

The Director of the Geological Survey of Canada, A. R. C. Selwyn, F.R.S., F.G.S., has issued the "Report of Progress for 1875-1876." The Dominion, like its southern neighbour, the American Union, is sparing no pains in ascertaining the nature and the magnitude of its natural resources. For this purpose exploring expeditions are being sent to report on the mineral wealth of the back territories, their agricultural capabilities, their climate, and the means they offer for communication. Nor are these investigations limited to the economic features of the country. Its geological characteristics, its fauna and flora, both living and extinct, are carefully scrutinised. That this conduct is true wisdom, even from a practical point of view, stands in no need of demonstration. The general impression which must be left on the mind of the reader is that the value of the western, and even the northern, parts of the Dominion is far greater than we in England commonly imagine. Thus even in Fort Simpson-latitude 62° N.-barley always ripens between the 12th and 20th of August, and wheat succeeds in four seasons out of five, which is more than can be said of some localities in England. Vancouver Island and the Queen Charlotte group resemble in their climate the western shores of Ireland, but are warmer and less troubled with summer rains. A current analogous to the Gulf Stream, the "Kuro Siwo," is the cause of a temperature abnormally high for the latitude. The forest growth is magnificent, the soil fruitful, the deeper strata rich in gold, silver, coal, and iron. The coast-line of 400 miles in extent is indented with inlets-here called canals-resembling the fiords of Norway, and affording everywhere safe anchorage for ships. In short, it would be difficult to imagine a region better fitted by Nature to be the home of a great industrial and commercial people. The botanist, Mr. Macoum, speaks with enthusiasm of the beauty and luxuriance of the vegetation, of which he gives lists. This volume contains an obituary notice of Sir W. E. Logan, the first Director of the Geological Survey of Canada, to whom, indeed, the success of this undertaking is very largely owing. It is scarcely needful to remark that this Report, like its predecessors, constitutes an invaluable storehouse of facts for all who are interested either in the geology, the palæontology, or the botany of the Dominion. Its utility is enhanced by the accompanying maps and views of the scenery taken from photographs.

From Section XI. of Dr. Ottokar Feistmantel's "Memoirs of the Geological Survey of India-Palæontologia Indica, being Figures and Descriptions of the Organic Remains procured during the Progress of the Geological Survey of India," which treats of the Jurassic (oolitic) flora of Kach, we learn that the flora of Kach is very poor when compared with the other fossil floras of India, especially in the number of species. In age it probably approximates to the Lower Oolite of Yorkshire, as seen at Scarborough, with which it has eight forms identical. With the oolitic floras of France and Italy that of Kach has no species in common.

MICROSCOPY." Double-Staining Tissues with Indigo-Carmine and Carmine," by F. Merbel ("American Journal of the Medical Sciences," for January, 1877). The dye consists of two fluids made separately, but mixed before use. One, a boracic solution of carmine (carmine, drachm; borax, 2 drachms; distilled water, 4 ounces). The other, a similar solution of indigocarmine (indigo-carmine, 2 drachms; borax, 2 drachms; distilled water, 4 ounces). Indigo-carmine is the trade name for sulphindigotate of potassium, and is the same dye used by Chrzonszczewsky in his researches upon the commencement of the portal duct. The specimens to be stained, if hardened in chromic acid, must be deprived of it by washing, and then be immersed in the mixed dyes for a quarter of an hour. After that they must be transferred to a saturated solution of oxalic acid, both to "set" the blue colour as well as to lighten the general tint, and then, having been washed in distilled water, mounted in Canada balsam in the usual way. The author does not consider the process as yet perfected, but hoped that, by finding some other reagent than oxalic acid, that would possess its good without its deleterious properties, a more uniform and certain result might in all cases be ensured,

The Rev. A. Renard, of Louvain, has contributed to the "Transactions of the Royal Microscopical Society" a valuable treatise on the "Composition and Microscopical Structure of the Belgian Whetstones." The rocks examined were those in the neighbourhood of Viel-Salm, in the province of Liege, Belgium. The stones are in shape parallelopipeds, composed of a stratum more or less deeply coloured yellow, and of a stratum coloured blueviolet, and constitute the well-known "razor-hone." The hones of Viel-Salm are found amongst the rocks which Dumont calls Salmien, but seem to resemble very much the English Cambrian, and to be the equivalent of the schist of Tremadoc. The blue and yellow layers, although apparently separated by a distinct straight line, are so intimately united that the workman has nothing else to do than to square the fragments. The minute structure of the rock is very remarkable. A fibrous pliation oblique to the stratification is prolonged from the slate into the whetstone; and if the slate be broken the lamina comes off, passing across the whetstone, and the fissure is prolonged with a regularity and constancy of angle which shows evidently that the two rocks have a common cleavage. The author is of opinion that the whetstones are contemporary layers with the incasing slates, and have been subjected to the same mechanical actions as all of the phylladic rocks of this group. The mineral composition and the microscopical and optical structure have been carefully studied by the Abbé Renard. The matter is highly interesting, but does not admit of a useful abstract being made, and occupies too much space to quote in full. The paper affords another instance of the great value of the microscope, and especially the service rendered by the polariscope to the investigation of substances hitherto regarded as almost structureless.

Specimens of fossil Polyzoa are frequently obtained in which the least interesting side is the one exposed to view. Mr. John Young, of the Hunterian Museum University, of Glasgow, has communicated to "Science Gossip (July, 1877, p. 158) a process by which the specimens may be detached from the original matrix, and mounted so as to show the side hitherto out of view. The specimens suitable for the process are those imbedded in shales that yield readily to the disintegrating influence of the weather. Very little can be done with specimens imbedded in hard calcareous shells or limestone. After selecting the specimens of Polyzoa it is best to let them be well dried at a fire or in the sun for a few days, to secure the adhesion of the asphalte used in mounting. When a specimen is to be operated upon let it be heated before the fire, and a layer of asphalte melted over it with a piece of iron heated nearly to redness. The asphalte used is the common sort, free from sand, employed in street paving. While hot, press a piece of tough brown paper down over the surface evenly with the fingers. The paper strengthens the asphalte very much, and afterwards, when the specimen is mounted, the paper adheres to the tablet on which it is fastened better than when asphalte is used alone. When large fronds of Polyzoa have to be lifted from the shale, then a second layer of asphalte and brown paper is employed: this forms a firm thin cake, which in large specimens is less likely to break across. The next operation, after fixing the asphalte to the fronds of the Polyzoa, is to place the specimens in water, and let them lie until the shale softens. In some cases the Polyzoa parts from the shale in a few minutes; in others an hour or two, or even a day, may be required. The process may be hastened by placing the specimens in a saucer filled with water, and, as the shale is softened, keep picking it away with a thin sharp knife until the fronds of Polyzoa appear; then with a worn nail or tooth-brush mash the surface of the specimens until they are quite clean and the cell-pores well exposed. If the fronds have been well fixed to the asphalte, the greatest freedom may be used in mashing the specimens without fear of their removal by the brush. For cleaning small specimens of Polyzoa intended for microscopical examination, the following method may be employed:-After having picked the specimens out from amongst the weathered limestone shales, where they often have a thin layer of clay adhering to them, take a glass slide and cover it with a layer of thin gum; then with the forceps lift all the fragments of Polyzoa to be cleaned, and place them on the slide with the poriferous face uppermost, afterwards

allowing the slide to dry slowly for a day or two. When the gum is quite hard, place the slide in a saucer of water, and brush the specimens gently and quickly with a nail- or tooth-brush. The gum will hold the fragments of Polyzoa firmly and safely in position, quite long enough before dissolving, so as to allow the specimens to be well cleaned; when this is done allow the slide to lie in the water until all the specimens are dissolved off from the surface; they can afterwards be collected with a soft hair-pencil, and dried upon blotting-paper, when they are quite ready for mounting.

A new form of section-cutting machine for general microscopical purposes, by Mr. H. F. Hailes, is described in the "Transactions of the Quekett Microscopical Club" (July, p. 243), to which those interested are referred, as an abstract of the paper would be useless without the drawings of the in

strument.

TECHNOLOGY.-The Clothworkers' Company of London having, with a wise and truly patriotic munificence, founded and endowed a Department of Textile Industry in connection with the Yorkshire College of Science at Leeds, Mr. J. Beaumont, the "instructor" to the Department, along with Mr. McLaren,-were commissioned to visit of the firm of Smith and McLaren, of Keighley,the weaving and other technical schools of France, Belgium, and Germany. The result of their observations has been embodied in a Report, which is published by Rivingtons, and which we commend to the heedful attention of all interested in the manufactures of this country. The following passage, which, mutatis mutandis, applies to all branches of manufactures, is an excellent answer to a common objection. It is said by many that if a young man wants "The answer is that the to learn weaving, let him go to a first-rate mill." weaving school is not meant to supplant the training received in the mill, but to supplement it in that particular where the latter fails. The apprentice in a mill will see other men designing and arranging new patterns; but will he learn to design and arrange them himself, to calculate the warp and weft required to weave them, or to cut the cards or arrange the healds? In a wellmanaged factory, where everything goes as if by clockwork, no one has time to teach a learner these things. Even if there were the time, there might not be the desire to teach. The jealousy of overlookers is often so great that, instead of helping a person who comes to learn, they not unfrequently do much to hinder him." We can confirm this statement from our own observation in such branches of industry as have come under our notice. The very object of apprenticeship is, in these days, to create and uphold a monopoly of practical knowledge. The fee is received, and as little as possible is given in return. Full testimony is borne to the striking success of the Polytechnic School of Aix-la-Chapelle. "Though very large and complete, another building of equal size is being erected by its side, which is to form the chemical department." There are now five hundred students, with twenty-four professors and eighteen assistants. The following passage may supply food for reflection :-"We noticed a number of packing-cases which we were told contained models of English patent machines, sent as a present by the British Government at the request of the Prince Imperial of Germany. We would suggest that the Government should be invited to extend its liberality to the (Leeds) College of Science, and to similar institutions in their own country." We might ask whether such international courtesies should not be made dependent on reciprocity and on international patent-right? At present it seems rather hard upon the English inventor whose application for a patent in Germany has been in due course refused to have his models sent abroad, and therefore the more conveniently pirated.

INDEX.