ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 427 



0. General. 



Evolution of Tertiary Mammals.* — Charles Deperet maintains that 

 the makers of pedigrees have been too hasty, e.g. in establishing lines of 

 descent on the basis of the progressive functional adaptation of a par- 

 ticular part, such as a limb, or a bone, or a tooth. The evolution of 

 European horses has been traced from Palwotherium and Paloplotherium, 

 through Aachitherium and Hipparion to the modern horse. But there 

 is good reason to believe that neither Pakeotherium nor Hipparion nor 

 Anchitherium were in the direct line of our horse's ancestry. The 

 alleged filiation is fallacious, though it indicates the mode of the evolu- 

 tionary process. The same is true with the history of bears as given by 

 Gaudry and Boule. 



Artificial filiations have been mistaken for real genealogies, and far 

 too little time has been allowed. The evolution of a horse from a 

 Pakeotherium since the Oligocene, of a bear from Amphicyon since the 

 middle Miocene, does not correspond to reality. 



The author proposes to show that in each family and large genus 

 there have been several parallel series ; that pre-occupation with in- 

 dividual parts is sure to mislead ; that in most cases there is a progressive 

 augmentation in size, leading on to giants which end the series ; that 

 the greater number of phyletic branches terminate brusquely ; that con- 

 vergence or fusion of branches is very exceptional. These and other 

 principles are to be illustrated first of all by a study of the Anthraco- 

 theridse. 



Variation in Tiger's Skull.f — Dr. Hilzheimer has made a number 

 of measurements upon the skulls of Indian and Chinese tigers, and finds 

 grounds for believing that there exists an osteological foundation for 

 the colour varieties which are recognised, and advocates the study of 

 such correlated variations. He finds, further, that numerous very small 

 and so-called " unimportant " variations, such as are held necessary on 

 the Darwinian Theory, are actually present. 



Ossification of Pterygoid in Man.J — E. Fawcett finds that the 

 internal pterygoid plate is the first part of the sphenoid to become 

 ossified. There is no evidence that it appears in cartilage. The hamular 

 process undergoes chondrification before ossification, the cartilage 

 resembles that which at the same time appears in the condyle, neck and 

 base, of the coronoid process of the lower jaw. The external pterygoid 

 plate is ossified in membrane as can be seen during the early part of the 

 third month ; it is not a downward continuation of the cartilaginous 

 great wing. 



Guide to Fossil Mammals and Birds in the British Museum.§— 

 We have received the eighth edition of the useful guide to the fossil 

 mammals and birds in the department of geology and paleontology in 

 the British Museum (Natural History). Since the last edition was 



* Comptes Rendus, cxl. (1905) pp. 1517-21. 

 t Zool. Anzeig, xxviii. (1905) pp. 594-9. 

 \ Anat. Anzeig., xxvi. (1905) pp "280-G. 

 § London (1904) 100 pp., 6 pis. and 88 fige. 



