80 NATURAL SCIENCE. August. 



have his unique opportunities been better turned to advantage than 

 in the description of the Plesiosaurian skull. His account of this 

 structure appears in the Quarterly journal of the Geological Society for 

 May, and is based on a specimen from the Lias of Lyme Regis, so 

 perfectly preserved as to be comparable to a specimen taken from a 

 recent animal. 



The net result of his observations leads him to believe that 

 " among reptiles a certain similarity of palatal structure does not 

 necessarily imply any close relationship, but the very great resem- 

 blances existing between the Plesiosaurian and Rhynchocephalian 

 palates, reinforced by the numerous points of likeness in other portions 

 of their skeletons, pointed out by Baur, lead to the conclusion that the 

 Sauropterygia, notwithstanding their single temporal arcade and 

 thecodont dentition, are descended from a primitive Rhynchocephalian 

 reptile." In this opinion Andrews is in complete harmony with Baur, 

 Boulenger, Howes, Lydekker, and other writers. 



Australian Pictographs. 



We are glad to see that Australian scientific men are beginning 

 to record the artistic efforts of the vanishing ' black-fellow.' The 

 latest contribution to this interesting subject is a communication to 

 the Royal Society of Queensland (Proc, vol. xi., pt. 2), by Mr. R. L. Jack, 

 the well-known Cjovernment Geologist. The Royal Society of 

 Queensland evidently does not take its anthropology very seriously, 

 judging from Mr. Jack's mistaken efforts to be humorous — or does he 

 think this is popularising science ? We hope that the figures have 

 been in the first place carefully copied from the originals, and in the 

 second place accurately reproduced. We have some doubts on the 

 subject, as we find that the man in fig. 6 is described as having ten 

 locks, but eleven are drawn ; and, similarly, those in fig. 10 are 

 drawn with eight locks instead of seven, as stated in the text, and 

 their three hands are drawn with four fingers each, though one is 

 credited with five fingers. This may seem trivial criticism, but, as a 

 matter of fact, it is not so. The most absolute accuracy is requisite 

 in transcribing native drawings and patterns, otherwise they lose 

 almost all their value. A published drawing is of great value to the 

 student at home as a document, but its accuracy should be above 

 suspicion. 



Owens College Biological Studies. 

 We received some time since, from the authorities of the Owens 

 College, Manchester, vol. iii. of Studies from the Biological Laboratory. 

 This, like farmer volumes, consists of reprints from other publications 

 of biological treatises written by those connected with Owens 

 College, and it forms a convenient method of displaying the activity 

 of the biological department of that institution. The present volume 



