538 



NATURE 



{Sept. 19. 1878 



Axis and Rusa, ultimately culminating in the -wonderfully 

 complex antlers of Cei-vus Sedgwickii of the forest bed, 

 and C. dicranios of the Val d'Arno, and in the gigantic 

 antlers of the pleistocene, and pre-historic Irish elk. It 

 must, however, be pointed out that the Cervus Maihe- 

 ronis of the upper miocene, identified by Prof. Gaudry 

 with the Axis, has no relation with that animal, as may be 

 seen by the examination of the most perfect antlers yet 

 discovered of the former animal, in the British Museum. 

 A more rudimentary form of antler {Proceivulus, 

 Gaudry) even than the Muntjac has been discovered in 

 the middle miocene strata of Thenay, without a burr, 

 which was, like ordinary horns, persistent through the life 

 of the animal. 



We have merely touched upon some of the questions 

 raised in this work, which occupies most important 

 ground in the evolution controversy, and may be looked 

 upon as one of the first fruits of the principles laid down 

 by Mr. Darwin in the " Origin of Species." 



W. Boyd Dawkins 



AMERICAN GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS 

 Untied States Geological Exploration of the Fortieth 

 Parallel. By Clarence King, Geologist in Charge. 

 Vol. II. Descriptive Geology, 1877. Vol. IV. Orni- 

 thology and Palceontology, 1877. (Washington : Go- 

 vernment Printing Office, 1877.) 

 THE important survey of a portion of the north- 

 western states of America, which was commenced 

 by Clarence King and his able assistants in 1867, has 

 now, after ten years of arduous labour, been brought to a 

 close. In the original scheme drawn up for the publica- 

 tion of the results of this survey it was proposed that the 

 observations of the surveyors should be published in five 

 volumes, devoted to the following subjects : — 

 I. Systematic Geology. 

 II. Descriptive Geology 



III. Mining Industry. 



IV. Zoology and Palaeontology. 

 V. Botany. 



The third of these volumes was prepared and issued soon 

 after the commencement of the surrey. It abounds with 

 valuable details concerning the rich ore deposits of the 

 north-west and the methods by which they can best be 

 worked. It is difficult to know which to admire most— 

 the accuracy and beauty of illustration of this volume 

 or the characteristic energy and promptitude with which 

 it was produced in order to meet a pressing want. 



In 1876 a supplementary volume numbered VI., not 

 contemplated in the original scheme, was published ; it 

 deals with the subject of Microscopic Petrography, and 

 is from the pen of Prof. Zirkel, of Leipzig. As this work 

 has already been noticed in the pages of Nature, we 

 need do no more on the present occasion than refer to 

 the circumstances under which it was published. 



Two other volumes, those numbered II. and IV. are now 

 before us, and amply sustain the high reputation which 

 Mr. Clarence King and his indefatigable fellow-workers 

 have acquired for energy and zeal in the prosecution of 

 their important task, no less than for great geological 

 knowledge and literary ability. 



The volume on Descriptive Geology consists of a series 



of chapters giving full and accurate accounts of the geo- 

 logical features of the Rocky Mountains, the Green River 

 Basin, the Utah Basin, the Nevada Plateau, and the 

 Nevada Basin respectively, the descriptions being from 

 the pens of Arnold Hague and S. F. Emmons. The 

 rocks exposed in this vast area include representatives 

 of the whole series of geological formations from the 

 Archaean to the Post-pliocene, together with many plu- 

 tonic and volcanic masses belonging to various geological 

 periods. The descriptions are of the most minute and 

 careful character, and are interspersed with valuable 

 analyses of the rocks described. 



One of the most useful features of this volume is the 

 series of twenty-six lithographic plates illustrating the 

 grand and peculiar scenery of the district. These are 

 admirable copies of photographs taken upon the spot, and 

 they are probably, without exception, the most successful 

 attempts to^illustrate scenery in this manner that have ever 

 been made. We would especially instance Plates V. and 

 VI., illustrating the Tertiary bluffs near Green River City, 

 Wyoming, and Plate XIV., showing the characters of the 

 Wahsatch Limestone Cliffs, Provo Caiion, Wahsatch 

 Range, as presenting the characteristic features of rock- 

 masses in a manner which cannot fail to be appreciated 

 by every geologist who has had opportunities for extensive 

 observation in the field. Other plates, such as X., repre- 

 senting the Agassiz Ampitheatre in the Uinta Mountains, 

 and XIX., in which a ridge of Archaean quartzite in the 

 Humboldt Range is depicted, are wonderfully striking 

 reproductions of the remarkable scenery of the district. 

 In a series of plates illustrating the saUne springs, we 

 have the peculiar features of the great plains also pre- 

 sented to us in a very vivid manner. 



Volume IV, consists of three parts. In the first of 

 these a series of fossils from all the formations, from the 

 Silurian to the Tertiary inclusive, are described by the 

 late F. B. Meek. This part is illustrated by seventeen 

 lithographic plates of great excellence. The second part 

 is by James Hall and R. P. Whitfield, and describes cer- 

 tain new forms, from the Primordial to the Jurassic ; it is 

 illustrated by seven plates. 



The third part of the volume is devoted to the descrip- 

 tion of the habits of the various species of birds met with 

 during the several expeditions. It is from the pen of Mr. 

 Robert Ridgway, the zoologist attached to the staff'. 



The United States Government is to be congratulated 

 on having been able to secure such valuable illustrations 

 of the natural history of their extensive and interesting 

 territories as are contained in the splendid volumes 

 before us, and the value of these contributions to science 

 is greatly enhanced by the liberality with which they have 

 been distributed among scientific workers and public 

 libraries in every part of Europe. We shall look forward 

 with much interest for the appearance of the other volumes 

 of the series. J- W. Judd 



OUR BOOK SHELF 



Tent Work in Palestine. A Record of Discovery and 

 Adve7iture. By Claude Regnier Conder, R.E., Officer 

 in Command of the Survey Expedition. Two vols. 

 (London : Bentley and Son, 1878.) 

 This is the first substantial result of the survey of Pales- 

 tine, which has been going on for the last few years. It 



