May 2, 1889] 



NA TURE 



have been glad to have an expression of the author's 

 views as to the mutual relations from a phylogenetic 

 point of view of the three groups of the Thecophora ; 

 because, if the separate nasals and parieto-squamosal 

 arch of some of the Pleurodira be indicative of their 

 more primitive organization, it would be pretty clear that 

 the peculiar specialized character of the mandibular 

 articulation can only be diagnostic of the later forms. 



The Trionychoidea, or soft Tortoises, appear to show 

 affinities to the Pleurodira in the structure of the palate ; 

 and here again we miss an expression of opinion as to 

 the nature of this relationship. The peculiar chevron- 

 shaped entoplastron, which is regarded as an important 

 diagnostic feature of the group, was, we believe, first 

 brought prominently to notice by Dr. Baur. 



In regard to the families of the Cryptodira, the 

 author follows Dr. Gray in regarding Staurotypus as 

 nearly related to the Chelydridce, but places it in a 

 distinct family, of which Dermatemys, placed by Dr. 

 Gray next the Batagurs, is taken as the type. Ctno- 

 sternum, likewise placed by Dr. Gray in the Chelydrida, 

 is regarded as the type of another family, readily cha- 

 racterized by the absence of the entoplastral bone ; 

 while the Platysternidce is likewise a family of which but 

 one genus is known. The widest departure from the 

 arrangement of Dr. Gray is, however, found in the case 

 of the TestudinidcB, which is a very extensive family, 

 embracing the EmydidcB of other writers, and no less 

 than four other families of Dr. Gray's " Hand-List." The 

 transition from one genus to another is, however, so 

 gradual, as apparently to afford full justification for the 

 new departure. Twenty genera of this family are 

 recognized, all of which can be defined by cha- 

 racters of the skull and shell. We would especially 

 note the disappearance of the well-known Pangshura of 

 India in the genus Kachuga; and would also remark 

 that, after its complex synonymy, the common European 

 Pond Tortoise is finally to be known as Einys orbicularis. 

 The genus Testudo is the largest in the whole order, 

 comprising no less than forty-one species. Here it has 

 been found that the division of the pygal, or supra-caudal, 

 shield is a character commonly occurring in the typical 

 Testudo grcEca, and consequently Testudo einys, which, 

 on this account was made the type of the genus Manuria, 

 and has attained an unfortunate notoriety owing to the 

 controversy regarding Scapia, is included in the type 

 genus. The Chelonidce, or Turtles, are divided into the 

 genera Chelone and Thalassochelys, each of which is 

 represented by two species. And here we may notice 

 the wise discretion of the author in refusing to recognize 

 a host of so-called species based on features which may 

 well be regarded as merely indicative of varieties. The 

 members of this family, it may be remarked, are the only 

 existing Thecophora in which the temporal fossae are 

 completely roofed over by bone ; and since a more or less 

 complete approximation to this feature occurs in many 

 Mesozoic types, this bony roof may perhips be regarded 

 as indicative of direct affinity with some of these early 

 types. In the Pleurodira the first two families are dis- 

 tinguished from one another by the presence or absence 

 of a mesoplastral bone, as well as by well-marked cranial 

 features, while the third family, represented only by the 

 aquatic Carettochelys of New Guinea, has no epidermal 



shields on the shell. This remarkable form, it may be 

 observed, is one of the ^t'^ desiderata in the collection of 

 the Museum. 



In the Trionychoidea, all of which are included in the 

 family Trionychida, the author has, we believe for the 

 first time, pointed out characters by which the skull of 

 the typical forms, in which the hyoplastral remains dis- 

 tinct from the hypoplastral, can be readily distinguished 

 from that of the group typically represented by Einyda, 

 and characterized by the fusion of the above-mentioned 

 bones. In the diagnosis of the genera Triouyx, Pelochclys, 

 and C/iitra on p. 241, we meet with the following sentence, 

 viz. "outer extremities of the nuchal bone overlying the 

 second dorsal rib." This sentence, when contrasted with 

 the corresponding diagnosis of the three following genera, 

 strikes us as liable to lead to confusion ; and the sentence 

 would be better if it read " outer extremities of the nuchal 

 bone overlying the rib supporting the first costal bone." 

 It appears, indeed, that the first dorsal rib of Chelonians 

 is aborted, and carries no costal bone, or plate, so that 

 the first costal bone is supported by what is really the 

 second rib. We may perhaps be pardoned for pointing 

 out that the term " straight angle," mentioned in the fifth 

 line from the bottom of p. 251 does not, at first sight, 

 suggest the idea of a •' right angle," for which, we presume, 

 it is meant. 



Scarcely any systematic work can nowadays escape 

 criticism, but in our judgment the system adopted in 

 the present volume appears to be one which in the 

 main ought to meet with very general acceptation, and 

 we heartily congratulate the author on the completion 

 of a very laborious task in a manner which deserves 

 the thanks of the students both of recent and fossil 

 Chelonians. R. L. 



THE HISTORY OF ANCIENT CIVILIZATION. 



The History of Ancient Civilization. By the Rev. J. 

 Verschoyle, M.A. (London : Chapman and Hall, 



THE title of this book is somewhat misleading. One 

 is led to expect from it a history of the growth < f 

 civilization from its earliest stages to its v.rious develop- 

 ments among different nations or races, and of the relation 

 of one form to another. But instead of this we have an 

 account of the characteristic civilization of certain selected 

 nations when at their best, with very little to indicate any 

 relation between them. The nations whose civilization 

 is described are the Egyptians, the Babylonians, and 

 Assyrians ; the Jews, Phoenicians, Aryans, and Persians ; 

 the Greeks and the Romans. The two latter are treated 

 very fully, occupying about three-fifths of the whole. 

 There can be no question that the information con- 

 veyed would be very useful to a student of ancient 

 civilization, but he would immediately ask for more. 

 If he had any intention of studying the question from 

 a scientific point of view, he would not be content with 

 isolated facts, but ask for the conne:tion between them. 

 Indeed, one of the most conspicuous features of the book 

 is the complete absence of any scientific method ; i:s 

 merits must be appreciated entirely from the literary 



