NATURE 



49 



THURSDAY, NOVEMBER i?, 1888. 



FOSSILS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 

 Fossils of the British Islands, stratigraphically and 

 zoologically arranged. Vol. I. Palaeozoic. By Robert 

 Etheridge,F.R.SS.L.andE. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 

 1888.) 



GEOLOGISTS and pateontologists will hail with 

 satisfaction the publication of the first volume of 

 Mr. Etheridge's "Fossils of the British Islands," which 

 has just issued from the Clarendon Press. Most of us 

 who have been occupied in this department of science 

 have long been expecting the appearance of this work, 

 for those who have laboured much among fossils know 

 full well the value of such a help to study. 



When the late Prof. John Morris, in 1854, brought out 

 the second edition of his " Catalogue of British Fossils," 

 only about 4000 species were known, and yet so great 

 was the need of some such aid, that the publication of that 

 catalogue has been referred to as marking an epoch in 

 British palasontological studies. During the thirty-four 

 years which have since elapsed, palaeontology has made 

 most rapid strides, and Mr. Etheridge now estimates the 

 number of British fossils at nearly 18,000 species. So 

 vast an increase is of itself suflScient to show the necessity 

 for some enlarged work of reference, which should bring 

 the accumulated material within the grasp of the working 

 pateontologist ; and such is the scope of this catalogue 

 of the " Fossils of the British Islands." Indeed, Mr. 

 Etheridge tells us, in his preface, that it was to facilitate 

 his work as Palaeontologist to the Geological Survey of 

 Great Britain that he, in the year 1865, commenced the 

 manuscript of this tabular arrangement of fossils. 



Those of us who have had the advantage of working 

 for a number of years beside the author, and have been 

 able to use these manuscripts, which were ever placed 

 freely at our disposal, have learned to know their value, 

 and to look forward with no little desire to the time of 

 their publication. 



The works of reference for fossil species, which have 

 hitherto been available, are D'Orbigny's " Prodrome de 

 Pal^ontologie " (1850), Bronn's "Index Palaeontologicus '' 

 (1848), and Morris's" Catalogue of British Fossils" (1854). 

 The first of these is divided into stratigraphical sections, 

 with an index of species at the end. Bronn's " Index " is 

 arranged alphabetically throughout, and the horizon of 

 each species is indicated by letters referring to a table. 

 The alphabetical arrangement is convenient for obtaining 

 references to authors and descriptions, but the second 

 reference for the horizon is troublesome. Morris's 

 "Catalogue" is divided into zoological sections, similar 

 to those adopted by Mr. Etheridge, and in each section 

 the genera and species are placed alphabetically, with 

 references to authors and descriptions, the chief korizon 

 of each species being given on the right of each page. 



In neither of these catalogues have either references or 

 horizons been given in such detail as in the work now 

 before us, which is not only a catalogue of all known 

 British species, but also a table giving their full distribu- 

 tion in time, with voluminous references to the most im- 

 portant descriptions and figures ; and the synonymy has 

 I Vol. XXXIX. — No. 994. 



been, as far as possible, brought up to date. The tabular 

 form adopted by Mr. Etheridge has necessitated the 

 division of the book into several stratigraphical groups ; 

 and consequently this first volume, which includes all the 

 species recorded from Palaeozoic formations, is divided 

 into four sections: (i) Cambrian and Silurian; (2) 

 Devonian or Old Red Sandstone ; (3) Carboniferous ; 

 (4) Permian or Dyas. 



In an appendix, three of these sections are repeated, so 

 as to bring the work down to the year 1886. 



At the head of each section the divisions of the forma- 

 tions which have been adopted are explained, and the 

 important localities are noted at which the beds occur. 

 Each page is arranged with vertical columns, one for 

 every stratigraphical division, and on the left are the 

 names of the genera and species, stars being plated 

 opposite the latter, in the appropriate column, to mark 

 their distribution. One column indicates those forms 

 which pass up into the next higher section, while on the 

 right the references are given. 



The strata included in Section i are thus divided : — 

 Cambrian, including (i) Harlech and St. David's beds, 

 with Longmynd, Llanberris, and Bray Head ; {2)Mtx\at- 

 vian ; (3) Lingula Flags ; (4) Tremadoc. Lower Silurian, 

 including (i) Arenig ; (2) Llandeilo ; (3) Caradoc or 

 Bala ; (4) Lower Llandovery. Upper Silurian, including 

 (i) Upper Llandovery; (2) Woolhope Limestone; (3) 

 Wenlock Shale : (4) Wenlock Limestone ; (5) Lower Lud- 

 low ; (6) Aymestry ; (7) Upper Ludlow ; (8) Tilestones or 

 Passage Beds and Downton Sandstones. 



The second section, Devonian or Old Red Sandstone, 

 is divided into lower, middle, and upper beds, and the 

 third or Carboniferous section is divided into (i) Calci- 

 ferous Series ; (2) Lower Limestone Shales ; (3) Carboni- 

 ferous Limestone ; (4) Upper Limestone Shales (Yore- 

 dale) ; (5) Millstone Grit; (6) Lower Coal Measures; 

 (7) Middle Coal Measures ; (8) Upper Coal Measures. 



The fourth section, Permian, is divided into (i) Pas- 

 sage Beds ; (2) Rothliegende ; (3) Marl Slate ; (4) Lower 

 Limestone ; (5) Middle Limestone ; (6) Upper Limestone. 

 Under each of the four sections the plants are first 

 dealt with, the genera being in one alphabetical series ; 

 and then follow the animals, which are divided into the 

 following groups, the genera in each being arranged 

 alphabetically — namely, Rhizopoda (divided into Spongida 

 and Foraminifera), Hydrozoa, Actinozoa, Echinodermata, 

 Annelida, Crustacea, Arachnida, Myriapoda, Insecta, 

 Polyzoa, Brachiopoda, Conchifera, Gasteropoda, Ptero- 

 poda. Cephalopoda, Pisces, Amphibia. In the appendix 

 the Placophora and Heteropoda are separated from the 

 Gasteropoda. 



There can be no question but that in works of reference 

 the alphabetical order is the simplest, and therefore the 

 best, where it can be adopted ; but in the present instance 

 it was obviously necessary to make geological divisions ; 

 and the zoological groups which Mr. Etheridge has used 

 are nearly the same as those of Prof. Morris's "Catalogue," 

 which in practice has been found very easy for reference. 

 This arrangement has the advantage also of bringing 

 together the members of each of the groups, and the 

 index of species supplies what further help is needed. 



The zoological divisions being merely for convenience, 

 little need be said about them ; but, at the same time, 



