1870.] GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY. 227 



curious forms of aquatic life, which, if of marine types, might 

 be of great interest with reference to the history of this continent 

 in the Post-pliocene period ; and might also help to account for 

 some of the alle2:ed miGirations of the fishes of the lakes. Such 

 facts might also illustrate the possibility of the continued resi- 

 dency in lakes of fishes usually migrating to the sea, since in the 

 depths of the lakes they might find food similar to that which 

 they could obtain by visiting the ocean. 



Figures of Characteristic British Fossils. — The second 

 number of this extremely useful work, by Mr. Bailey, of the 

 Geological Survey of Ireland, appeared some time ago. It con- 

 tinues the series of illustrations up to the Wenlock ; and is most 

 interesting and useful to Canadian students, as showing in the 

 clearest manner to the eye the similarity of the succession of 

 fossils in the series in Britain and in this country. Being com- 

 posed almost entirely of names and figures, the work does not afford 

 materials for quotation, but as a means of comparison it should 

 be in the hands of all students of Canadian geology. Besides the 

 figures and lists of species, there are useful introductory explana- 

 tions of the structure of the principal types of fossils, with the 

 terms applied to their parts. 



BOTANY AND ZOOLOGY 



British Edible Fungi. — Mushrooms and their congeners 

 seem never to have been in good repute since Agrippina employed 

 one of the tribe to poison her husband, and Nero with villanous 

 pleasantry called it the "food of the Gods." With proverbial 

 tenacity the bad name thus incurred has clung to the whole family 

 of Agarics, and what within certain limits might be called a 

 wholesome dread has become a deep-rooted and irrational preju- 

 dice, excluding from popular use a really valuable class of vege- 

 table esculents. "^^e cannot altogether go along with those 

 enthusiastic mycophagists who recognize a substitute for meat in 

 every edible fungus, and dilate on the ozmazome and other 

 nutritious properties of the tribe ; but we readily acknowledge 

 that their merits as secondary sources of food-supply have hitherto 



