192 The Palttontoyraphical Society. 



for six months only, the owner's liberality has enabled it to remain 

 in our bands for over five years. Nothing that we can say can 

 express better than this statement the extent of our indebtedness 

 to Mr. Wachsmuth's generosity, which prompted him to expose a 

 valuable collection to a double journey across the Atlantic and 

 a prolonged detention in this country, in the hope of promoting 

 scientific knowledge. Besides providing us with material, Mr. 

 Wachsmuth has also been kind enough to keep us informed from 

 time to time of the progress of his own researches. We tender him 

 our most sincere thanks for the very free use which he has allowed 

 us to make of his unpublished observations." F. A. B. 



MISCELLAUEOITS. 



Pal^ontographical Society. 

 rpHIS Society, which was established in the year 1847 for the 

 I purpose of figuring and describing the fossils of the British 

 Isles, issued last year its 49th volume, and the 50th volume may be 

 expected early this year. The monographs in course of publication 

 include those of the Gasteropoda of the Inferior Oolite, by Mr. 

 Hudleston ; the Ammonites of the same formation, by Mr. S. S. 

 Buckman ; certain Lamellibranchs of the Coal-measures, by Dr. 

 Wheelton Hind ; the Devonian Fauna of the South of England, 

 by the Rev. G. F. Whidborne ; the Crag Foraminifera, by Prof. 

 T. Rupert Jones ; and the Fossil Sponges, by Dr. G. J. Hinde. 



Although so much has been accomplished, there yet remains 

 a very large amount of work to be done. Of this future work 

 the more important will be the description and illustration of the 

 Jurassic and Cretaceous Fishes (certain Ganoids excepted) ; the 

 Jurassic and Cretaceous Lamellibranchs (with the exception of those 

 of the Great Oolite and the Trigonice) : the Gasteropods of the 

 Lias, Middle and Upper Oolites, and Cretaceous Rocks ; the Lower 

 Carboniferous, Silurian, and older Mollusca; the Polyzoa of all 

 formations (except the Crag) ; the Mesozoic Crustacea ; the 

 Palaeozoic Echinoderms (except the Devonian) ; and the Insects of 

 all formations. 



Unfortunately, Palaeontology is not an exact science, and with the 

 multiplication of species nowadaj's it is difficult to foretell the time 

 when the Palasontographical Society will have terminated its 

 valuable labours. 



It has now reached the point of preparing to issue its fiftieth 

 annual volume, and it seems highly desirable that public attention 

 should be drawn to the important work earned on by this Societ}', 

 in order to attract new members. We can imagine no better way 

 to effect this object than by sending out a circular announcing the 

 Jubilee of the Society this year, and inviting all members to cele- 

 brate the occasion by a public meeting and dinner, at which all old 

 " pals " should meet once more. The custom was to hold an annual 

 dinner on the anniversary day, and we hope this excellent and time- 

 honoured practice of the Pakeontographical Society will now be 

 revived. 



