244 Bihliograplncal Notices. 



Palaeontology published during the year 1874. The names of the 

 contributors are a sufficient guarantee that the different articles, all 

 of which are signed with the initials of the wTiters, have been well 

 and carefully prepared ; and the general arrangement, which we 

 presume to be the work of the chief editor himself, is as satisfactory 

 as, considering the natiu'e of the subjects to be treated of, could 

 reasonably have been expected. The report is divided into a 

 certaiii number of great sections, such as " 8tratigraphical and De- 

 scriptive Greology," "'Physical Geology," "Mineralogy," "Petrology," 

 " Palaeontology," &c., and these, again, into subsections on various 

 grounds ; and under each subsection are the references to and 

 analyses of the different books and memoirs relating to it, arranged 

 in the alphabetical order of the authors' names. An excellent 

 Index, occupying 19 pages of three columns each, furnishes a 

 further guide to the contents of the book, and will to a verj^ con- 

 siderable extent take the place of those cross-references which would 

 have been indispensable had the editor attempted to classify his 

 materials in such a manner as would satisfy all the requirements of 

 all his readers. 



In choosing this simple method of arrangement, we think that, 

 except in the department of Palaeontology, Mr. Whitaker has exer- 

 cised a wise discretion. Geological books and memoirs, especially 

 those belonging to his first section, or those on Btratigraphical and 

 Descriptive Geology, may generally be looked at from haK a dozen 

 points of view ; and the effect of any attempt to embrace the whole of 

 these would be a complexity of arrangement that could only lead to 

 confusion ; so that the system here adopted of an alphabetical order 

 under certain broad headings (geographical in the section above- 

 mentioned) is certainly the most jiidicious that could be adopted. 



But with regard to Palteontology the case is different ; and we 

 hope that in future years Mr. Whitaker may be able to make a 

 change in the treatment of this department of his work. In the 

 present volume this section is divided into three subsections — -the 

 Palaeontology of the Vertebrata, of the Invertebrata, and of Plants ; 

 and under each of these heads the various publications appear in 

 the alphabetical order of their authors' names. Now, without for 

 one moment denying the great importance of a digest even of this 

 kind, we cannot but think that its value woiild be immeasurably 

 increased if the subjects, or at least the new genera and species 

 referred to, could be classified after the fashion of those in the 

 ' Zoological llecord.' These things are capable of being reduced to 

 an intelligible system ; and although doubtless the process would 

 involve considerable labour, it seems to us that a method of carry- 

 ing it out might easily be organized. The advantage to students 

 of palaeontology would be immense. 



We trust that Mr. Whitaker and his excellent coadjutors will 

 not think that these remarks are dictated by a mere carping spirit 

 of criticism, bent upon discoveruig something to find fault with. 

 No doubt there are people who woidd pronoiince the nectar of 

 Jupiter's best bin too sweet or too dry, or perhaps corked, and detect 



