Bibliographical Notices. 57 



We will now offer some remarks on the separate groups above 

 tabulated ; reminding our readers that not merely do the differential 

 numbers indicate the addition of a large mass of published material 

 to the lists (viz. 3388 species), but that, besides the absolute nu- 

 merical increase of species, an important change has often taken 

 place in the presumed generic and specific relations of previously re- 

 corded fossils, tasking the critical acumen of the Author and demand- 

 ing much labour. This result cannot be readily seen by the figures, 

 but practical palaeontologists will quickly discover it, and it may be 

 seen in even a cursory comparison 6f this with the former edition. 



The increased number of recorded fossil Plants is chiefly derived from 

 the Jurassic and Tertiary beds. To those from the latter should also 

 be added the twenty-two forms of fossil leaves, &c. from the Lower 

 Eocene clay of Reading, figured by Mr. Prestwich, and the other 

 tertiary plant-remains described by the same geologist, and, with the 

 former, noticed in the "Addenda" of the 'Catalogue,' p. 363; 

 where from 300 to 400 species of fruits from the London Clay in 

 Mr. Bowerbank's collection are also referred to as being still unde- 

 scribed. The Diatomacese are in this edition grouped with the 

 plants (at p. 25), in accordance with the corrected notions of natu- 

 ralists with regard to the affinities of these organisms. Doubtless 

 this short list of the siliceous infusoria may be increased by judicious 

 microscopical research ; but we cannot too strongly urge" upon those 

 who may take in hand the examination of any deposit with the view 

 of searching for these remains and enlarging the bounds of " Micro- 

 geology," that the utmost care should be taken that the examination 

 is made with hands and instruments innocent of errant infusoria, and 

 in fact in apartments into which stray Diatomaceee do not come. 

 Rich fields for palseobotanical research are still open in the London 

 Clay, and in the tertiary plant-beds of Newhaven, Alum Bay, Bourne- 

 mouth, Poole, and Corfe ; and, not to speak of the Jurassic coal- 

 deposits, we must remind geologists that the Carboniferous flora of 

 Great Britain has not nearly received the labour it deserves of our 

 geologists and palseobotanists, and that it requires much attention 

 before it can be fairly compared with the *' palaeozoic" floras of the 

 Continent and other regions. We may here observe that Dr. Hooker's 

 notice of the Triffonocarpon, read before the Royal Society, refers 

 this fruit to the Coniferse ; a correction to this effect may be made at 

 p. 24 of the * Catalogue.' 



A large proportion of the increase of the Amorphozoa is due to the 

 addition of the thirty-six species (belonging to four genera) of the 

 Ventricuhdae, so elaborately worked out by Mr. Toulmin Smith. 

 The position here assigned to this group does not accord with that 

 advocated by their investigator. As their assumed polyzoan character 

 has not been generally accepted, nor their exact relations recognized, 

 probably they owe their present location solely to the hospitality 

 of the Amorphozoa, and may be they rest contented, on the principle 

 that a " home is home however homely." 



From the large access of species and the numerous indications of 

 undetermined or unpublished forms in the list of the Foraminifera, it 



