506 Miscellaneous. 



A very useful bibliographic list of the more important books and 

 I)aper8 haWng reference to each system of formations is appended to 

 the successive chapters on the great periods ; and a generalized 

 section is given for each of the great series in England or else- 

 where. 



The concluding chapter, on " the Succession of Life upon the 

 Globe," is well worthy of attention. The general appearaTice of 

 succession and progression among living things of all recognizable 

 time — the apparent exceptions to these phenomena — the gradual 

 introduction and extinction of faunce and Horoe in most instances — 

 the apparently almost sudden incoming and disappearance of such 

 groups as the GraptoHtes and Trilobites — and the apparently sudden 

 appearance of Hippuritidac, of the Dicotyledonous flora, and, indeed, 

 of the Cambrian fauna, are treated of in a clear-sighted philosoidiic 

 spirit, glad to gather all tliat is known, and waiting and working 

 for further light. 



A tabular view of the chief divisions of the animal kingdom is 

 given in the Appendix. A careful Glossary and fidl Index complete 

 this well-arranged and well-printed book, which we cordially re- 

 commend to geologists and other naturalists. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



Zoology of the ' Challenger ' Expedition. 

 To the Editors of tJie Anncds and Magazine of Natural History. 



Gextlemex, — Since 1 wrote j'ou on the subject of the distribution 

 of the ' Challenger ' collections for description and stud}*, a distin- 

 guished naturalist has moved in the House of Commons for the in- 

 structions given by the Treasury to Sir C. Wyville Thomson. The 

 Treasury (courting, as I know they may well and safely do, the 

 fullest inquiiy) have ordered the whole correspondence to be 

 printed ; and it will be in hand shortly. 



An important letter has already been communicated to a public 

 department; and as I have seen it, I can now write on a matter in 

 which my hands were formerly tied. The arrangements of the 

 ' Challenger ' expedition were superintended by a Circumnavigation 

 Committee, which reported at last to the Council of the Royal So- 

 ciety ; so that when the Treasury asked for the ad-vice of that body, 

 one of the secretaries was instructed to write, embodying the sug- 

 gestions of the Committee. I need hardly say that this was carefully 

 and faithfully done ; and now the letter advising the Government can 

 be seen, and I trust that I am not transgressing in stating that ex- 

 traordinarv care was taken in it to do what was best for science and 



