SCIENCE PROGRESS 



horizons of Australia and those of Europe. A persual of this table will at once 

 show that while there is a comparatively full development of the Palaeozoic strata 

 and their fauna in the southern island-continent, the Middle and Upper Mesozoic 

 formations are much less fully developed than in Europe, while the Eocene is 

 apparently wanting. In consequence of these deficiencies, Australia has practic- 

 ally no record of the great development of terrestrial reptilian and mammalian 

 life which took place during these epochs in other parts of the world ; thereby 

 emphasising our remarks with regard to the importance of European pala?onto- 

 logical text-books to Australian workers. Before leaving the stratigraphical 

 table, reference may be made to an unfortunate error on p. 47, where the 

 Permian and Carboniferous are classed as Mesozoic in place of Palaeozoic. 



The various groups of animal fossils are treated in zoological order, from 

 the lowest to the highest, and there is also a brief chapter on paleobotany, in 

 which it is mentioned that the existing ginkgo, or maiden-hair, tree of China and 

 Japan was represented in the Jurassic of Victoria and Queensland. 



As regards their vertebrate land faunas both Australia and New Zealand come 

 under the category of what have been happily termed " biological asylums" — 

 a feature largely due to the long isolation of both areas. There was, however, 

 a time when Australia formed part of " Gondwanaland," and shared its thylacines 

 and horned-tortoises with South America, its batrachians with South Africa, and 

 its ferns with India ; and it would have been well, we think, had these former 

 land-connections been shown on a map. In regard to the systematic position of 

 the Australian aborigines the author is thoroughly up to date, although he is a bit 

 " wobbly " with regard to the introduction of the dingo. 



Taken as a whole, the volume is admirably planned, and the plan admirably 



executed. 



R. L. 



The Snakes of Europe. By G. A. Boulenger, LL.D., D.Sc, Ph.D., F.R.S. 

 [Pp. xi + 269. With 14 plates and 42 text figures.] (London : Methuen & 

 Co., 1913. Price 6s.) 



Until the publication of this book there was a remarkable gap in English 

 zoological literature ; for, as is pointed out in the preface, there is no book 

 treating of European reptiles in the English language. This present volume 

 on the snakes in part fills the gap ; and it is to be hoped that the remaining 

 European reptiles will be dealt with ere long by an author as well equipped for 

 his task as Mr. Boulenger. 



The book is divided into two parts — one an introduction dealing with the 

 characteristics of snakes in general, and the second occupied with a systematic 

 account of the various species. On the whole, the book is remarkably free from 

 errors ; but to make a sentence, " Further remarks on this subject in the chapter 

 on Dentition " (p. 6) needs some addition, and " in relation with " is used instead 

 of " in relation to " on p. 8. There is a tendency to use technical words not 

 clearly explained by the context rather freely in certain parts, e.g. Lepidosis 

 (p. 17), and some of the chapters are consequently rendered very stiff reading 

 for the layman. The chapters dealing with general subjects, such as those on 

 Colouration, Habits, and Snakes in Relation to Man are extremely interesting. 

 To crowd a large amount of information into a small compass is always a difficult 

 task, but it has been accomplished here with great success. The nervous system, 

 however, is somewhat briefly treated, and the whole of it is dismissed in about 

 six lines. 



