278 Reviews—Ries and Watson—Hngineering Geology. 
The Kocene fauna offers a contrast from the Mediterranean type in 
the extreme development of the Scutellide and the scarcity of the 
Clypeastride. In the Oligocene Scutellids and Laganids are still 
predominant, but a magnificent species of Amblypygus deserves 
mention. In this section a double systematic disaster has to be 
recorded. A fragmentary Cidaroid radiole is given a new ‘ specific’ 
name, and that name is Cidaris smithi. Apart from the fact that - 
such a specimen does not deserve to be the type of a species, nor even 
the original of a figure, the name employed is thoroughly preoccupied. 
Systematists who describe new species of Cidaris (and, alas! their 
number is still legion) should really be careful about the names they 
employ. If the patronymic of Smith had been omitted from the 
thousand or more of names that have followed the word Cidaris, there 
would indeed have been a marvel to record. 
The Miocene and succeeding Echinoid faunas are dominated 
throughout by the abundance and variety of the ‘Sand-dollars’, and 
have in all respects a typically American facies. 
The volume as a whole is of uniform value, and the plates, though 
irregular in quality, are lavish and satisfactory. But it is necessary 
to protest once more against the view that every specimen must have 
a name, and, if it is too imperfect to be identified with an established 
species, a new name. Moreover, the descriptions of the species, 
though admirably concise and intelligible, are almost devoid of 
references to allied forms. Comparisons, though often to be 
deprecated, are the most fruitful means of study in the case of 
a largely new and isolated fauna such as the authors have before 
them. As an outstanding example of this defect, it may be mentioned 
that the only new genus instituted is ushered in with no more 
ceremony than the old ones, and, save for the etymology of its name 
and the place in the book where it appears, there is no clear indication 
of the reasons for its establishment nor of its taxonomic position. 
Excessive brevity is a rare, but irreparable, fault. By tedious 
filtration the facts may be separated from a prolix account, but no 
amount of study will extract them from a brief paragraph into which 
they were never inserted. 
Apart from these details, the book affords a useful summary of the 
present knowledge of the faunas described, and will greatly assist in 
further work upon them. Its most original feature occurs on the 
last plate, where a photograph of the scenery on a ranch in California 
is given to show the abundance and excellent preservation of the 
Miocene Scutellide. Surely it is to California that all good 
Echinologists go, when they leave these fields of labour for the 
Elysian ranches. 
We) Ta ee 
III.—Ewneinerrineg Grotocy. By Herricw Riss and Tomas L. 
Watson. Second edition. London, Chapman & Hall, Ltd.; 
New York, J. Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1915. Price 17s. 
N engineer who is at the same time a trained field geologist has 
a tremendous pull over his colleague whose knowledge in this 
respect is small. In many engineering courses geology has not been 
