38 Reviews — Prof, von ZitteVs Palceontology. 



materials ; and there will doubtless be mucli difference of opinion 

 upon some of the author's views of synonymy. The difficult task of 

 presenting an impartial and comprehensible resume of the Dinosauria 

 (as they are still termed) is accomplished in Dr. von Zittel's best 

 style. Several pages are devoted to the history of the classification 

 of the order, with an outline of its principal osteological characters ; 

 and considerable space is then occupied with a detailed account of 

 each of the principal types. Three subordinal divisions — Sauropoda, 

 Theropoda, and Orthopoda — are adopted, and of the numerous illus- 

 trations no less than two-thirds are the fine woodcuts published in 

 the well-known memoirs of Prof. Marsh. In contributions to 

 knowledge of this order, indeed, Europe sinks into insignificance, 

 except as regards the Iguanodontidee, Compsognathidas, and 

 Zanclodontidae. As in the case of the Crocodilia, some of the 

 nomenclature adopted will not meet with genei-al approval, especially 

 in the New World ; but Dr. von Zittel has wisely selected for special 

 prominence a series of the most satisfactorily preserved types, 

 recording them under the names they received in the original 

 memoirs, thus enabling the student and general reader to obtain a 

 clear idea of the subject without becoming involved in the perplexi- 

 ties of synonymy, which none but a specialist, with the actual 

 materials before him, can understand. The Pterosauria constitute 

 the last order of Eeptiles discussed, and are illustrated by several 

 fine figures of remains from the Bavarian Lithographic Stone. The 

 author's well-known memoir of 1882 forms the basis of much that 

 has scarcely been incorpoi'ated in a text-book previously ; and the 

 introduction of the graphic restored figure of Hhampliorhynclius, 

 originally adorning that memoir, is a new feature in the present 

 "Handbuch." 



The preliminary chapter to the class Aves is of the usual concise 

 and complete character ; and in the systematic description the three 

 orders of Saururee, EatitEe, and Carinatge are recognized. Owen's 

 original figure of ArcJicsopteryx is not dispensed with, as often 

 happens now, to make way for an illustration of the beautiful fossil 

 in Berlin ; but both are given, the one made to supplement the other. 

 Hochstetter's restored portrait of Dmornis is as effective as the sketch 

 of Bliamphorliynclius already mentioned, and forms a well-chosen 

 contrast to the dry bones on the succeeding pages. The genera 

 Meionornis and Palapteryx are admitted as distinct from Dmornis, 

 but the so-called Enryapteryx becomes a synonym of the second, as 

 determined by Hutton and Fiirbringer. The Odontolcse are referred 

 to the Eatitae, and the Odontormae to the Carinatge ; and the 

 numerous recent families of Carinatge with extinct representatives 

 are arranged in sixteen suborders, the latest researches of Fiirbringer 

 being especially taken into consideration. Most of the genera are 

 simply recorded, but a brief statement of characters or distribution 

 is given in the case of some of the principal types ; audi the only 

 important omission in the references to literature we notice is 

 Symington Grieve's work on the Great Auk, 



The index to the volume, comprising both genera and species, 



