Abstracts of Foreign Memoirs. 73 
and of the imprints of gigantic feet in the Paris Gypsum, shows that 
at the period of their deposition there existed an ornithic fauna at 
least as perfect as that of the present day ; also that the Miocene 
Bird-fauna. did not differ essentially from that of to-day; certain 
families, such as the Phenicopteride, being, however, rich in genera 
and species then, though poorly represented now: finally, the Birds 
of the Quaternary period are all of recent species; those apparently 
extinct having probably been exterminated through the agency of 
man.—H. M. J 
COLONIAL GEOLOGY: NEW ZEALAND. 
GOLOGISCH-TOPOGRAPHISCHER ATLAS von Nev-SEELAND, BEARBEITET VON Dr. 
Frrprinanp von Hocusterter unD Dr. A. Petermann. Gotha, Justus Perthes. 
1863. 
HIS book, which is published in a quarto form, consists of six 
chromo-lithograph Maps of the principal districts in the Provinces 
of Auckland and Nelson; and of twenty pages of descriptions and 
explanations by the authors, taken mostly from the scientific publi- 
cations relating to the ‘Novara’ Expedition. The first map is a 
topographical one of New Zealand ; but it contains also indications of 
the localities where certain useful minerals are found. The five re- 
maining maps are purely geological, and tell much more of the 
geological structure of the provinces of Auckland and Nelson than 
was known before. 
In the text of the work, Dr. Petermann describes the general 
topographical features of the Islands ; and Dr. Hochstetter discourses 
(1) on the geological structure of the southern part of the province 
of Auckland, (2) on the extinct volcanos of the same region, (3) on 
the hot springs of Rotomahana (Auckland), (4) on the geology of 
the west coast of the same province, and (5) on the geology of the 
province of Nelson, in the Southern Island ; these five chapters being, 
in fact, full explanations and descriptions of the five geological maps 
already alluded to. A very useful table of the heights of hills in 
South Auckland, and detailed sections of the different formations in 
the same district, are also given. 
Dr. Hochstetter has done his work remarkably well, and since his 
return the fossils he collected have been examined and described by 
some of the most able Austrian paleontologists (see the following 
notices), so that the Colonial Governments of these provinces will 
almost be spared the expense of geological surveys.—H. M. J. 
Fosstrz Moriusken uND EcHINODERMEN AUS NEU-SEELAND, BEARBEITET VON Dr. 
Karu A. Zirret. Nepst BrtrraGEN voN DEN HERREN BercratH Fr. Rirrer 
von Havir unp Pror. E. Surss. 10 Plates. 
HE oldest known fossiliferous rocks of New Zealand occur in the 
Southern Island, near Nelson, in the district of Richmond, and 
are probably of Triassic date, as they contain two species of Shells 
(Monotis salinaria, Bronn, and Halobia Lommeli, Wissm.) undistin- 
guishable from known forms occurring in European strata of that 
7% 
