Geological Society, 353 



The commencement of the series of special guide-books to this 

 department has been made by the production of the ' Guide to the 

 Collection of Fossil Fishes,' embracing a sketch of the classification 

 of fishes adopted in the arrangement of the Museum, with notices 

 of the more remarkable forms of fossil fishes and of the habits of 

 some of their living allies. This little book is profusely illustrated 

 with woodcut figures. 



The Keepers of the Zoological and Botanical Departments have 

 issued as yet no general guides to the treasures under their charge ; 

 but the former has commenced the publication of the special series 

 in the form of an excellent guide to the collection of Mammalia. 

 It is divided into three parts, corresponding to the galleries in -which 

 the objects are exhibited. The first section deals with the stuffed 

 specimens, and treats of the creatures represented from the natural- 

 history and systematic point of view, indicating very briefly their 

 general characteristics, habits, relations (in the past as well as at 

 the present day), and especially their geographical distribution. 

 The second part is descriptive of the Mammalian portion of the 

 osteological collection ; while the third is devoted to the true 

 Cetacea, which are placed apart on account of the gigantic size of 

 many of their representatives, and deals with both their natural 

 history and their osteological structure. This last section is the 

 work of the Director of the Museum, Prof. Flower ; the other two 

 have been drawn up by the Keeper, Dr. Gunther, with the assist- 

 ance of Mr. Oldfield Thomas. The Mammalian guide contains a 

 considerable number of good illustrations scattered through the 

 text, and is also provided with plans showing the mode of arrange- 

 ment of the galleries. 



If we compare these two guide-books in no invidious spirit it is 

 impossible not to award the palm to the second of them. Its 

 authors have been allowed for some reason to have much better 

 print, much better paper, and much more of it on wbich to disport 

 themselves than has fallen to Dr. "Woodward's lot ; and if we add 

 to this that with more space their subject is smaller, and that it 

 lends itself much more readily to popular treatment than any class 

 of fossils whatever, it will be no matter of wonder if the Guide to 

 the Mammalia prove to be the more successful work of the two. 

 Each of them, however, is excellent in its own way, and a series of 

 such guides will place our great national collection on a footing of 

 usefulness such as can be claimed for no other museum in the Avorld. 



PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. 

 GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 

 February 25, 1885.— Prof. T. G. Bonney, D.Sc, LL.D., F.R.S., 



President, in the Chair. 

 The following communications were read : — 



1. "On a Dredged Skull of Ovibos mosehatus." By Prof. W 

 Boyd Dawkins, M.A., F.R.S., F.G.S. 



As some doubts have been expressed as to whether a skull of 



