oat 
SEPTEMBER 4, 1913] 
evidence in this condition, it is not surprising that the 
theory, though fully accepted by a few, and hesitat- 
ingly by others, has failed so far to be generally 
adopted. 
For the last ten or twelve years I have constantly 
been on the look-out for a specimen which, while 
possessing a large median true vomer has also a 
pair of large distinct paired prevomers. Mr. D. M. S. 
Watson believes he has discovered in the British 
Museum a specimen of Lycosuchus showing a median 
vomer between the pterygoids, and certainly a pair 
of large prevomers in front. Unfortunately, though 
the specimen is satisfactory enough for those who 
believe the median vomer to be quite a different 
element from the reptilian paired ‘“‘vomers,”’ it is not 
convincing enough for the doubter. 
In two species of the small Upper Permian Thero- 
cephalian genus Ictidognathus, I find a peculiarly 
complicated but single median vomerine bone, but in 
a third species, closely allied, I find clear evidence that 
the apparently single bone is composed of the paired 
prevomers anchylosed. Further, the anchylosed pre- 
vomers have exactly similar relations to the palatines 
and pterygoids that the median bone in Dicynodon 
has, and at first it looked as though the theory had 
received a severe blow. 
Fortunately a specimen of a large species of 
Dicynodon has just been discovered that clears up all 
the confusion. The median bone, which lies between 
the posterior pairs in Dicynodon is the anchylosed 
prevomers. Above it, and completely concealed by it, 
is a large, well-developed, typically mammalian 
median vomer extending from the basisphenoid behind 
to the premaxilla in front. Along its upper side the 
vomer is grooved for the large basal and ethmoidal 
cartilages. Posteriorly it is closely united to the basi- 
sphenoid. The bone completely confirms the view I 
expressed in 1898 that the mammalian vomer is the 
reptilian parasphenoid, and quite a different element 
from the prevomers. R. Broom. 
American Museum of Natural! History, 
New York, August 10. 
THE TWELFTH INTERNATIONAL 
GEOLOGICAL CONGRESS. 
“| Meee first meeting of the International Geologi- 
cal Congress in Canada, and the third in the 
western continent, held its session in Toronto from 
August 7 to August 14, under the presidency of 
Dr. F. D. Adams, of McGill University. Alto- 
gether 1152 members were enrolled, about half of 
whom attended the meeting; and forty-six coun- 
tries were represented by their leading geologists. 
Probably never before had Canada entertained a 
gathering so distinctively international, and great 
interest was manifested in the work of the con- 
gress, not only in Toronto, but throughout the 
Dominion. The honorary president of the con- 
gress, H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught, who was 
unable to attend, was represented at the opening 
session by the Right Hon. Sir Charles Fitzpatrick, 
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, 
and by him a warm welcome to the Dominion was 
extended to the visiting delegates in a graceful 
speech in French, the official language of the 
congress, Ontario was represented by the Hon. 
-W. H. Hearst, Minister of Mines for that pro- 
vince, Toronto by Alderman Church, and the 
University of Toronto by President Falconer, to 
whom the congress was indebted for the use of 
NO. 2288, VOL. 92] 
NATURE 7 
several of the university buildings during the meet- 
ings. 
The chief work delegated to the twelfth congress 
| had been the preparation of a monograph on the 
| coal resources of the world, to serve as a com- 
panion work to the iron resources of the world, 
prepared for the eleventh congress at Stockholm. 
The general secretary of the congress, Director 
Brock, of the Canadian Geological Survey, pre- 
sented the monograph, and summarised its main 
features. It consists of three quarto volumes, 
accompanied by a 68-page atlas, and contains 
reports from sixty-four different countries. The 
editing has been in the hands of a committee of 
the Geological Survey of Canada, consisting of 
Messrs. McInnes, Leach, and Dowling. Mr. 
Brock contributes the preface, Mr. Dowling an 
introduction summarising the main reports, while 
contributions by experts from the various coun- 
tries of the world form the major part of the work. 
The total coal resources of the world are estimated 
at 7,397,533 million tons, of which 4,000,000 
million tons are bituminous, 3,000,000 million tons 
brown coal, and the remainder anthracite. As the 
world’s production in 1910 was 1,145 million tons, 
the exhaustion of our coal supplies is by no means 
an immediate problem. Approximate reserves of 
some of the chief countries are as follows :— 
Canada, 1,234,269 million tons; United States, 
3,214,174 million tons; United Kingdom, 189,535 
million tons; France, 17,585 million tons; Ger- 
many, 85,551 million tons; Russia, 233,997 million 
tons. . In Switzerland only 4500 tons of coal 
remain. The preparation of the monograph in- 
volved a large amount of special investigation in 
several of the countries from which reports were 
submitted; and the three volumes, with the atlas 
of beautifully executed maps, will serve as a 
fitting companion volume to the iron resources of 
the world. 
In order to facilitate business, the congress 
resolved itself into three sections, which met con- 
currently. Over eighty papers were presented, the 
majority of which had direct bearing on the topics 
which had been suggested for the consideration of 
the congress. On the subject of the differentiation 
of rock magmas the session was interesting, 
rather because of the variety of hypotheses than 
because of any distinct contribution to views 
already propounded elsewhere. Daly advocated 
stoping and gravitational movement, Harker frac- 
tional crystallisation, Loewinson-Lessing differen- 
tiation in liquid state, Evans immiscible liquid 
phases, while Bergent emphasised recurrent basic 
and acid succession in its bearing on the problem, 
Iddings and Washington pointed out from differ- 
ent points of view the necessity of sufficient ana- 
lyses within petrographical provinces. Hobbs 
referred to the relationship between certain petro- 
graphical provinces and clay states, and Cross 
discussed Hawaiian lavas from the point of view 
of the Atlantic-Pacific classification. Bdckstrém, 
in summing up the discussion, advocated the con- 
servative attitude until experimental work was 
sufficiently advanced to justify broad conclusions. 
'. The theme “The Influence. of Depth on the 
