Reviews—Dr. Georg Baur’s Fossil Chelonia. 373 
may be added that the maps accompanying the Report are drawn 
to a scale of seven geographical miles to one inch. One illustrates 
the geology, the other marks the wooded and prairie tracts of the 
country embraced in the report. INS al, int 
IIJ.—Dr. Grore Baur on Fosstn Cueronta. 
HE publication of preliminary notes and synopses of results is 
often desirable, as affording the opportunity of criticism before 
the completion of any extensive work ; and it is sometimes a con- 
venient method of securing valuable co-operation from other workers 
in a given field. But when indulged in to so great an extent as is 
now unfortunately the custom in some quarters, the practice becomes 
both confusing and annoying; and the steady progress of science 
degenerates into a mere struggle for “priority,” burdened with 
endless unfinished notes and crude speculations. Such considerations 
are once more suggested by Dr. Georg Baur’s latest remarks upon 
the Paleontology. ‘of the Chelonia. Entombed in the form of a 
footnote to a four-page pamphlet upon the origin of the paddles of 
the Ichthyopterygia,’ is the definition of a supposed new genus of 
Chelonia from the Keuper Sandstone of Wiirtemberg! The fact is 
one of considerable interest, and the fossil of the greatest importance ; 
but the future historian of the Chelonia is hardly to be blamed if he 
fails to discover the “priority ” of the name Proganochelys Quenstedtit, 
when referring to this unique fossil: one author, indeed, in another 
“preliminary note ” upon the same specimen,” has already overlooked 
both the description and the name. The fossil is a natural internal 
mould of the carapace and plastron of a Chelonian, especially 
remarkable for its high degree of specialization; and it is not 
improbable that, when more is known of the animal, it will prove 
to be identical with Chelytherium obscurum, von Meyer. The plastron 
is described as completely closed, and united laterally with the cara- 
pace, without any fontanelles. 
The next reference to Proganochelys occurs in a letter ® announcing 
the discovery of small dermal ossicles upon the limbs of Testudo 
Leithii, where the interest of the genus is remarked upon in connec- 
tion with the controversy as to the systematic position of the Athecan 
Chelonia: and then the subject of ‘“ Unusual Dermal Ossifications ” 
suddenly develops into the definition of another new genus, founded 
upon the well-known “ Chelone”’ Hojffmanni of the Maastricht Chalk. 
Dr. Baur proposes henceforth to place the latter in a genus named 
Allopleuron, on account of the small development of the costal plates 
and the narrowness of the marginals. 'The results are most interest- 
ing and worthy of consideration, but it is not too much to ask that 
in future we may have the subjects under recognizable titles, even if 
it is still considered desirable to publish them in so obscure and 
scattered a form. JX tsp \io 
1G. Baur, ‘‘ Ueber den Ursprung der Extremitiaten der Ichthyopterygia,’’ Bericht 
xx. Versamml. Oberrhein. geol. Vereins, 1887. 
2 Zarszewski, ‘‘ Kine im Stubensandstein des Keupers gefundene Schildkréte,”’ 
Wiirtt. Jahresh, 1888, p. 38. 
: me Baur, ‘* Unusual Dermal Ossifications,’’ Science, March 28rd, 1888 (vol. xi. 
p: : 
