1868. | Geology and Palzontology. ; 95 
Moore, which includes figures and descriptions of a large number 
of new species. 
Another important descriptive paper, “ Monographie paléonto- 
logique et géologique de l’étage Portlandien des Environs de Bou- 
logne-sur-Mer,” by MM. de Loriol and Pellat, is contained in the 
nineteenth volume of the ‘ Mémoires de la Sociét3 physique d’His- 
toire naturelle de Genéve.’ It is necessary to call attention to such 
memoirs, but abstracts of their contents can scarcely be given in 
our Chronicles. 
Mr. W. H. Baily, acting paleontologist to the Geological 
Survey of Ireland, has commenced the publication of a work entitled 
‘ Figures of Characteristic British Fossils with Descriptive Remarks.’ 
The first part contains 10 plates and descriptive letter-press, em- 
bracing the characteristic fossils of the strata from the Cambrian 
to the Caradoc inclusive. This work will, no doubt, be of very 
great assistance to amateur geologists and to students. The Council 
of the Geological Society indeed recognized this fact, by awarding 
to the author the Wollaston Donation-fund at their last anniversary 
to assist him in publishing it. The author’s reputation as a prac- 
tical paleontologist and draughtsman is sufficient guarantee that 
the fossils will be judiciously selected and correctly figured. 
M. Barrande has issued another volume of his great work on 
the Silurian fossils of Bohemia, which is devoted to the description 
and illustration of the Pteropoda, including no less than 68 distinct 
species, and 7 genera out of the 9 known to occur in Paleozoic 
rocks. The species of Pteropoda are known to have been very 
numerous in the Silurian seas; they are almost absent from Me- 
sozoic deposits, but re-appear in the Tertiary ; and in the existing 
fauna there are certain forms which have a striking analogy with 
those from Paleozoic deposits. M. Barrande asks the question 
whether this intermittence be real or apparent, that is to say, is it 
due to the Mesozoic Pteropods having been unprovided with a 
shell? If this be the case, another question suggests itself to him, 
namely, why is it that this order is the only one which, during its 
long “struggle for existence,” successively carried, resigned, and 
resumed its testaceous covering ? Such questions as these are much 
more easily asked than answered ; but they nevertheless possess an 
interest which is almost a charm for those who are endeavouring to 
discover something of the real philosophy of paleontology. 
The fourth edition of Sir R. I. Murchison’s ‘Siluria’ has been 
published during the past quarter; but we must reserve our re- 
marks on this important work until our next number. 
The ‘Geological Magazine’ for September opens with a most 
interesting notice by Principal Dawson, “On some Remains of 
Palzozoic Insects recently discovered in Nova Scotia and New 
Brunswick.” These insects have been discovered in Carboniferous 
