Reports and Proceedings — Geological Society of London. 375 



receive the most important and fundamental information concerning 

 the ancestry and evolution of the rhinoceroses from the Tertiary 

 formations of the New World, w^here no one, prior to the discoveries 

 of 1850, could ever have suspected the occurrence of so characteristic 

 an Old World type of mammalian life. 



In the second chapter of the memoir. Professor Osborn deals with 

 the true rhinoceroses, and begins with a useful synopsis of the 

 existing species of the Old World, illustrated by a series of drawings 

 of the skulls. Next, he gives a brief historical statement of the 

 discovery of the extinct rhinoceroses, both in Eui'ope and North 

 America. Finally, he discusses the characters of the skull and teeth 

 in formulating a basis of classification to be adopted in the technical 

 account of the extinct rhinoceroses which follows. There is also 

 a " preliminary bibliography." 



Of the technical part of the memoir only the first section is now 

 published, namely, a description of the cranial and dental characters 

 of the hornless rhinoceroses (" Aceratheres ") from the American 

 Oligocene, or White River Beds, of which a stratigraphical table is 

 inserted. Seven species of Aceratherimn are successively treated; 

 and the so-called A. trigonodum is placed in a new genus, Leptacera- 

 therium, on account of the persistence of its upper canines. Two 

 important immature skulls with the complete milk-dentition are 

 referred to A. occidentale. 



The forthcoming sections of this memoir are announced to deal, 

 not only with the remaining American forms, but also with those of 

 the Old World. We understand that Professor Osborn is at present 

 enjoying a year's leave of absence from his professorial and curatorial 

 duties, and is thus favoured with the opportunity of continuing his 

 extensive studies of the European collections. We await the result, 

 so far as our knowledge of the extinct rhinoceroses is concerned, 

 with great interest and high expectations. 



iaE:POI?,TS .A-ITID I^IROGESIBIDIITCB-S. 



Geological Society of London. 



I— June 22, 1898.— W. Whitaker, B.A., F.R.S., President, in the 

 Chair. The following communications were read : — 



1. "Post-Glacial Beds exposed in the Cutting of the new Bruges 

 Canal." By T. Mellard Reade, C.E., F.G.S. 



The following beds, enumerated in descending order, were found 

 in this cutting : — 



5. Argile cles polders superieure. 

 4. Card'mm [ediile)-s,2in(i.. 

 3. Argile des polders inferieure. 

 2. Scrobicularia [plana) -dzj. 

 1 . Peat with the remains of trees. 



Mechanical analyses of beds 5 and 2 are given. The argile des 

 polders superieure consists mainly of extremely finely divided 

 material, in which sponge- spicules and foraminifera were found. 



