Bibliographical Notices. 417 



Carboniferous Series, no trace of Blastoids from the Lower Carboni- 

 ferous (or Calciferous Sandstone Series), much less from anj' of the 

 marine bands of the Coal-Measures, being known. 



All the known Blastoids of the Upper Silurian period are confined 

 to American strata, and represent the families Troostoblastidse and 

 Codasteridfe. 



In the Devonian period all the families are represented. The 

 Silurian Troostoblastidas, however, do not appear in the American. 

 Devonian rocks ; but they are well represented in Europe, although 

 the Devonian Blastoids generally are slight!}' more numerous both 

 in genera and species in America than in Europe. In Europe the 

 great centre of Blastoid life in Devonian times appears to have been 

 in the north of Spain, whilst in the British Isles there is but the 

 scantiest evidence of their presence in the rocks of that period. 



In the Carboniferous period ten genera are represented in Europe 

 (all present in the British Isles), and ten, or possibly twelve, in 

 America. 



Fenfremitidea, Elcracrhms, CnjptoscJiisma, and Eleiitlicrocrinus are 

 found only in the Devonian. 



Pentremites, Mesoblastus, Tricoelocrimis, Cryptohlastus, Aceiitro- 

 iremites, Heteroblastus, Oropliocrhms, Astrocrinus, and Pentepihyllmn 

 are found only in the Carboniferous. 



Of the remaining six genera, Troostocrinus, which appeared in 

 the Silurian, is represented in the Carboniferous by a form which 

 the authors think may probably be referred to it, although the 

 genus has not yet been definitely recognized by them in the Devo- 

 nian. Codaster^ which appeared in the Silurian, passes up into the 

 Devonian, and thence into the Carboniferous, 3Ietcd>lastus, Scliizo- 

 blastus, and Oranatocrinus, which occur in the Carboniferous, are 

 represented in the Devonian by forms which the authors provisionally 

 refer to the same genera. PhcenoscJiisma, which appeared in the 

 Devonian, passes up into the Carboniferous. 



The authors remark that " The distiibution of the various species 

 of Blastoids is very limited both in Space and Time. A few species 

 appear to be common to the Upper and Lower Devonian of America ; 

 but each of the great divisions of the Subcarboniferous in the 

 Mississippi valley seems to have its own particular types. No 

 Blastoid occurs on both sides of the Atlantic ; one species is common 

 to the Devonian of Spain and Germany, and another to the Carboni- 

 ferous Limestone of Britain and Belgium. But with these excep- 

 tions the range of individual specific types is very limited indeed." 



A list of the works consulted and a very complete index are 

 given. The plates are most excellent, and, besides possessing great 

 artistic merit, are especially noteworthy for the care with which 

 the magnified details of critical points of sti'ucture are rendered. 



In according our highest praise to this masterly Catalogue, we 

 would desire to thank the authors for the boon they have conferred 

 upon palfeontologists, and also to express the hope that the much- 

 needed monographs of the Crinoidea and Cystidea may be taken in 

 hand by the same able and conscientious workers. 



