300 NATURAL SCIENCE. Oct.. 



ancestors at least as far back as the Trias. We believe that the 

 Belemnoteuthidae form the starting point of the Chondrophora rather 

 than of the Phragmophora or Osteophora ; but the question admits 

 of argument. Neither can we agree with Dr. Bernard when he states 

 that without doubt the Tetrabranchs have given birth to the Dibranchs, 

 or when he maintains that some Goniatites are directly derived from 

 some coiled Nautiloids, or when he writes that the Chondrophora are 

 manifestly descended from Belopteridee and Sepiadae. 



In the pages allotted to Vertebrata, the author hardly acts up to 

 his principles in devoting so small a space to the Amphibia or 

 " Batraciens." The extinct Stegocephali possess a peculiar interest 

 as vying with the Theromorpha for the honour of Mammalian ancestry. 

 Dr. Bernard indeed inclines to derive Mammals from the Theriodont 

 Reptiles, but there is much to be said in favour of their direct descent 

 from Amphibia. It is not so much the peculiar skeletal characters, 

 such as the two occipital condyles, the single temporal arcade, the 

 bony symphysis of ischium and pubis, that are_ in the way of their 

 descent from Reptiles, for these characters were present in the lowest 

 Reptiles as well as in the highest Stegocephali. But it certainly seems 

 easier to derive the Mammalia from the ancient Amphibia with 

 primitive vertebral column, anteriorly directed ilium, five-fingered 

 hand and glandular skin, than it does to derive them from any such 

 forms as had advanced in the direction of the Reptilian type. At any 

 rate, these are questions not yet settled, and for a more complete under- 

 standing of them the student desires a better account of the Amphibia 

 than is given by Dr. Bernard, as well as more reference to the writings 

 of E. D. Cope. 



Passing over the remaining chapters on Vertebrata, we need 

 merely mention that the dentition of the Mammalia is very clearly 

 described, with figures and diagrams explanatory of the numerous 

 terms now employed. This part concludes with a fuller account 

 of ancient man than is usually found in works of this class and 

 size. 



Having devoted 800 pages to the animal kingdom, our author 

 proceeds to compress the whole of Vegetable Palaeontology into 

 87 pages, which 87 pages we have little hesitation in saying are 

 simply wasted. No one that wishes to study the subject is likely 

 to come here for his information, while the zoologist will only 

 grumble at the additional size of the book. The classification employed 

 in this part would have been the better for a little revision. The essay 

 on the phylogeny of plants pays scant attention to the views of 

 anyone but the Marquis de Saporta. No mention is made of Treub's 

 work on Casuarina, or more recent work in Russia and in this country 

 on some of the Cupiliferae, all of which has a very important bearing 

 on phylogeny. A mistaken sense of duty, probably on the part of 

 the publishers, was no doubt the cause of the insertion of this 

 inexact and insufficient chapter. 



The book closes with a few additional notes, some errata, and 

 an excellent index. We note that the author did us the honour to 

 read our former remarks, though he does not seem to have fully 

 understood them. 



Till better methods enable a more accurate text-book of 

 palaeontology to be compiled, we recommend this to the notice of 

 students. It is always interesting, often original, yet judicial, well 

 illustrated, and on the whole very good value for a sovereign. 



F. A. B. 



