GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY. 261 



the Paris Exposition during 1854 and 1855. The Reports thus brought out to- 

 gether, constitute a volume of five hundred pages, containing several outline maps, 

 and accompanied by a quarto atlas of eleven lithographed plates, shewing the 

 results of a series of explorations in various districts between Lake Huron and the 

 Ottawa. In a scientific as in a practical point of view, these united Reports may 

 be looked upon as the most valuable publication yet issued by the Survey. ' Not 

 only will they sustain most fully the reputation of Canadian science beyond our 

 borders, but they cannot fail also to awaken renewed attention to the undeveloped 

 resources of the Province. A detailed notice of the volume, with copious extracts, 

 will appear in the next number of the Journal.* 



PEEMIAir ROCKS IN THE UNITED STATES. 



Some years ago. Professor Dawson — now Principal of McGill College, Montreal 

 — announced his conviction that a large portion of the red sandstone strata of 

 Prince Edward's Island and N'ova Scotia, belonged to the Permian Epoch.f 

 This view, although sustained by good evidence, was seemingly opposed by the 

 assumed absence of Permian strata in the United States; the so-called New Red 

 Sandstone of the Connecticut vail ey, and other districts, being then looked upon as 

 belonging to the higher part of the Triassic or even to the Jurassic series. Some 

 recently published fossil evidence, however, seems likely to modify this opinion 

 (Silliman's Journal, No. 12;) and still more recently, proofs have been brought 

 forward simultaneously by several observers — more especially by Professor 

 Swallow of Columbia, Missouri, and by Mr. Meek and Dr. Haydon of Albany — of 

 the actual occurrence of Permian strata in Kansas Territory. In a letter addressed 

 by Professor Swallow to Professor Dana (Silliman's Journal, March, 1850, p. .305) 

 several genera and species, obtained by Major Hawu, are enumerated in support 

 of this opinion. These species are closely analogous to, if not identical with, cer- 

 tain well-known types from the Permian beds of Russia. 



FOSSIL BATEACHIANS FEOM THE COAL STEATA OF OHIO. 



Professor Wyman in the last number of Silliman's Journal, has given a brief but 

 very interesting description of three fossil batrachians discovered some time ago 

 in the coal beds of Jefferson County, Ohio, by Dr. Newbury and Mr. Wheatly. 

 These examples present many remarkable features. In two of the forms, how- 

 ever, the characters are not sufficiently complete to throw much light upon their 

 real nature ; and hence, Dr. Wyman, with a forbearance that cannot be too highly 

 appreciated, has abstained from naming them. The third form, Raniceps Lyellii, is 

 tolerably perfect. It appears to occupy an intermediate position between the 

 tailed and the tail-less batrachians, presenting a combination of characters belong- 

 ing separately to each division. Thus it shows the convex external outline of 



* Since the above was iu type, we have received a letter from Sir William Logan, pointing 

 out an error of the lithographer, in the lettering of the map of Anticosti, p. 234. Sir William 

 writes :— " A, B, C, and D, indicating the divisions of Mr. Richardson's map, are each one 

 place out of position. The narrow division, along the north coast, should be marked A. 

 The division ^, as shown in the map, should be JB ; B should be C; C should he D; D 

 should be -Bl; and JE should be JEJ^. F is placed correctly. Of course the base of the 

 middle Silurian must be removed one place to the north, with the division to which it be- 

 longs." 



t See Canadian Journal, New Series, Vol. I., page 43. 



