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" Kecent Foraminifera. a desci'iptive catalogue of specimens 

 dredged by the United States Fish Commission Steamer 

 A Ibatross" By James M. Flint, M.D., U.S.N. Printed in the 

 Annual Report of the Smithsonian Institution for the year 

 ending June 30th, 1897. Washington, 1899, pp. 249—349, 

 80 plates.* 



This work is of great interest to the rhizopodist, inasmuch as it 

 contains a catalogue of the foraminifera obtained during the 

 dredging operations of the United States Fish Commission steamer 

 Albatross^ which were conducted around the Atlantic and Mexican 

 Gulf coast-lines of the States, and also at a few stations in the 

 Pacific Ocean. The results are most copiously illustrated by a 

 series of no less than eighty admirable plates, including several 

 hundred figures. 



The author's purpose as stated in his preface is " (1) to record 

 the results of an examination of a portion of the bottom material 

 obtained during the dredging operations ; and (2) at the same 

 time to furnish a convenient book of reference for those who are 

 or may become sufficiently interested to continue the study of 

 this material." 



As regards the author's first intention, it is stated that only 

 a portion of the material obtained has so far been examined, and 

 this not exhaustively, so that the list of species recorded will 

 probably be largely extended at some future time. We venture 

 to suggest that the value of the catalogue would have been greatly 

 increased if the distribution of the species had been more 

 thoroughly worked out. 



The list of species is preceded by a short account of the life 

 history and organisation of the foraminifera, which, in view of 

 the author's hope that his work may form a work of reference 

 for intending students of the order, as it well may, might with 

 advantage have been more exhaustively treated and more care- 

 fully written. For instance, the author uses the word " colony " 

 in a manner which implies that the polythalamous foraminifera! 



* Also published separately. The agents of the Smithsonian Institution, 

 Messrs. W. Wesley & Son, 2S, Essex Street, W.C., supply copies in this 

 country at Is. Qd. net. 



