l893 . NOTES AND COMMENTS. 15 



been recorded as found under conditions that could explain the origin 

 of so curious an arrangement of different minerals. At the meeting 

 of the Geological Society of London on June 7, however, Dr. Johnston 

 Lavis exhibited some ejected blocks of metamorphosed limestone 

 from Monte Somma displaying a perfect eozoonal structure. They 

 have been studied most carefully by Dr. J. W. Gregory and himself, 

 and their microscopical characters correspond in all details with those 

 of the original Canadian specimens. In many cases, on account 

 of their freshness, the Monte Somma blocks exhibit some of the 

 pseudo-organic structural details, such as the stolon-tubes, in far 

 greater perfection than does the true so-called Eozoon canadense. 



In the Transactions of the Connecticut Academy (vol. ix., March, 

 1893), Dr. C. E. Beecher has a paper on the " Revision of the Families 

 of the Loop-bearing Brachiopoda." He arrives at the conclusion 

 that the Terebratellidae certainly appeared before Jurassic times, 

 because they were well represented by several characteristic genera 

 (Kingena, Ismenia, Zellania, and Megathyris); that among recent species, 

 several separate generic and specific names may have been given to 

 stages of growth of a few species ; and that species must be based 

 upon surface ornaments, colour, and form, with certain limits, and 

 genera only upon structural features developed through a definite 

 series of changes, the results of which are permanent in individuals 

 evidently fully adult. 



A second paper by the same author follows, on " The Develop- 

 ment of Terebratalia obsoleta, Dall." This is illustrated by three plates, 

 of which the first shows the development of the brachial supports in 

 the Terebratellidae, dealing chiefly with the Megathyrina, the Dallinince 

 and the M agellaniincs ; while the second and third plates are almost 

 entirely concerned with the same structure in Terebratalia obsoleta. 

 Like so much of Dr. Beecher's work, this is thoroughly worked out, 

 and presents points of interest as well to the general reader as to the 

 specialist. 



In the Zeitschr. fur romanische Philologie for April there is an 

 interesting paper on the Italian popular names of the Bats, by Dr. C. 

 J. Forsyth Major. Dr. Major is, fortunately, both a naturalist and a 

 philologist, and one can therefore depend upon his determinations 

 and researches. Not only from Italy itself has the author busied 

 himself in rescuing these interesting words, but also from Corsica, 

 Vaud, Savoy, the Jura, the Vosges, Dauphine, Provence, etc., etc. 

 Among the words in use that Dr. Major traces to the Latin Vespertilio, 

 are : — Tuscany, vipistrello, vispistrello, pipistrello ; Florence, pripistrello ; 

 Figline, pimpistrello ; Prov. Massa, spertello ; Prov. Macerata, spiridillo; 

 Tenerano, papastrello; Premilcuore, baibastrel; Imola, balbastre; Padora, 

 barbastregio; Venice (ant.) barbastregio, barbastelo, barbastrigo, barbastrillo ; 



