i896. NOTES AND COMMENTS. 223 



these deep-sea deposits that the proportion of these ubiquitous 

 organisms to the cubic foot was naturally greater. Mr. Marr gives a 

 useful list of the graptolitic zones, with special reference to the rocks 

 of England, and suggests that the absence of graptolites from deposits 

 lithologically similar to those in which they are present, "is most 

 readily explicable by climatic change." The article ends with a word 

 in favour of fossils. From recent organisms the biologist has been 

 able to ascertain that evolution occurs ; but how it occurs is left for 

 the palaeontologist with his long series of species to describe. That 

 the study of graptolites has not been in vain is proved by the best of 

 all tests, namely, that the palaeontologist in his workroom has been 

 able to predict the existence of forms which were subsequently dis- 

 covered by the geologist in the field. 



Fossils. 



The Palseontographical Society celebrated its jubilee last July, 

 and an account of its rise and progress appears in the September 

 number of the Geological Magazine. This is accompanied by the 

 reproduction of a photograph taken in 1856 of four of the early 

 geologists who interested themselves in the movement : Professor 

 Morris, Professor Prestwich, Mr. Searles Wood, senior, and Mr. F. E. 

 Edwards. 



The officers of this society for the ensuing year are: President, 

 Dr. Henry Woodward, he being succeeded as a Vice-President by 

 Rev. G. F. Whidborne; Treasurer, Mr. R. Etheridge, F.R.S. ; 

 Secretary, Rev. T. Wiltshire ; Council, Dr. W. T. Blanford, Rev. 

 T. G. Bonney, Rev. R. A. Bullen, Rev. A. Fuller, Dr. J. Harley, 

 Dr. H. Hicks, Dr. Wheelton Hind, Mr. J. Hopkinson, Professor 

 E. Hull, Professor Rupert Jones, Mr. J. E. Marr, Dr. J. S. Phene, 

 Mr. W. P. Sladen, Mr. B. Woodd Smith, and Mr. H. Woods. And 

 yet, as a recent writer in Nature complains, " the geologists, zoologists, 

 and botanists of the British Islands regard palaeontology as an inferior 

 science"; surely not, when it can be represented by such "potent, 

 grave, and Reverend seniors"! By the way, is it strictly and 

 scientifically accurate to say, in the words of the interesting account 

 above alluded to, that "the officers cheerfully give their services " ? 



It is a curious fact that, of the eighty-seven writers who 

 during the past ten years have published original work in 

 British Palaeontology, only twenty-five are members of this society, 

 while most of the best-known names are conspicuously and 

 lamentably absent. To induce these renegades to join the ranks 

 of the faithful, our contemporary publishes a little computation 

 of the average number of pages and illustrations published 

 each year, with the average number of species described. The 

 result is " far and away beyond what has yet been accomplished 

 by any Continental Palaeontographical Society for a subscription of 

 one guinea annually." No one will deny the quantity, but what about 



