478 Bibliographical Notice. 



is properly indicated, without throwinpf total discredit on the 

 researches of earnest and cunscient ous obsei'vers. 



IV. Algic succeed, and the impossibilit}^ of accepting very many 

 of the so-called fucoids, or fossils referred to seaweeds, is reasonably 

 insisted on. Other members, however, of the algal group are abun- 

 dant both in recent and fossil states. The Diatomaccae (Kacil- 

 lariacefB) are succinctly described as belonging to the " Brown 

 Algtc," and their wide distribution in existing waters, both fresh 

 and salt, is analogous to their frequent occurrence, sometimes in 

 enormously thick deposits, in the later geological formations. The 

 oldest known fossil form has been found in the Lias : other forms 

 are common in the Chalk ; and others are vastly numerous in somo 

 Tertiary formations. For reasons given, the reported occurrence of 

 diatoms in the Coal and in the Trias is not accepted. 



The Chlorophyceae, or " Green Algoe," comprise the Siphonea^ and 

 Confervoideoe. Of the former, Caulerpa is a recent representative, 

 and two fossils have been referred to it ; but the Silurian Caaler- 

 piies cactoides, Gopp., is rejected, and the Jurassic Caulerpa {jtes} 

 Can-nthersi, Murray, not accepted by the author. Codiiim and 

 Fenicillus come in the same category ; the former has a doubtful 

 fossil analogue {Sphcp.rocodium), a limestone-maker of Triassic ago. 

 The author thinks that Girvanelhi, Bornemaun's Siphonema, and 

 Sphcerocodium are closely allied and probabl}' algal, but too imper- 

 fectly known to be referred to any particular family. 



Fenicillus has ten recent, mostly tropical, species; but in the 

 fossil state there are many allied forms. These have mostly been 

 described as foraminiferal, but have now been brouglit home to 

 the Siphoneaj by Prof. Munier-Chalmas. Of these reclaimed 

 organisms the chief are Acindaria, Pohiinipa, Vermiporclla and 

 others (Silurian), Si/cidntm (Devonian), JJipIopora and Gyroj>orella 

 (Triassic), Dactylopora (Eocene), and others, belonging to Municr- 

 Chalmas's Siphoneae Verticillatae, of which Aceluhularia and Cymo- 

 poKa are good recent types. 



For the Confervoideas several so-called Confervites have been 

 recorded by geologists, but scarcely any of them are of value. At 

 pages 178-183 " Torbunite" or " Boglioad Coal " is discussed. It 

 consists of minute light brown granules of hydrocarbon, with some 

 earthy matter, and portions of the tissues of coal-plants. In the 

 morsels of hydrocarbon in Torbanite and Kerosene- shale (known also 

 as Tasmanito) MM. Renault and ]5ertrand see evidence of some 

 Chlornphyceous? Algic, which they name J'ilu and liLinscliia. The 

 author seems to go with this opinion to some extent. It is notice- 

 aide, however, that the lidnschia represented by fig. 3 at page 180, 

 although its hydrocarbon is somewhat modified, has much resem- 

 blance to a compressed macrospore, such as abound in Tasmanite. 

 The important paper by Mr. E. T. Newton in the Geol. Mag. 1875, 

 has escaped the author's notice. 



Of the " lied Algae " group, the Nullipores (MelobesieoB and 

 Corallinea^) comprise very imi)ortant rock-builders in both recent 



