392 



SCIENCE 



[N. 8. Vol. XLI. No. 1054r 



The third chapter is an illuminating dis- 

 cussion of the skeleton of reptiles, in which 

 the principal elements are not only fully de- 

 scribed, but illustrated by the author's draw- 

 ings. 



The chapter on the Age of Reptiles contains 

 a chart showing the range in time of the 

 various reptilian suborders, beginning with 

 the Carboniferous. Each important horizon 

 is taken up in turn and the character of the 

 sedimentation and location of the chief expo- 

 sures discussed. This section is illustrated by 

 Williston's restorations of various Permo- 

 Carboniferous reptiles. 



All this is by way of preparation for the 

 main theme of the book — that of the adapta- 

 tion of reptiles to aquatic life — and the fifth 

 chapter discusses the problem in general, with 

 the principal structural changes which water- 

 living brings about, comparing the reptiles in 

 their modification with other important aquatic 

 types. Then in regular sequence the water- 

 inhabiting orders are discussed: the Saurop- 

 terygia, Lystriosaurus among the Anomodontia, 

 the Ichthyosauria in which the summit of 

 aquatic adaptation is reached, Mesosaurus of 

 the Proganosauria, Pleurosaurus of the Pro- 

 torosauria, many of the Squamata, especially 

 the marine iguana Amblyrhynchus of the 

 Galapagos Islands, and the Agailosaurs and 

 Mosasaurs, our knowledge of the last named 

 being largely due to the author's own re- 

 searches. 



Another chapter treats of the Thalattosauria 

 recently described by Dr. J. C. Merriam, while 

 the Rhynchocephalia are represented by 

 Champsosaurus. Crocodile-like forms are in- 

 cluded under two orders, Parasuchia and Croc- 

 odilia, Oeosaurus, an Upper Jurassic crocodile, 

 going to the extreme and developing an ieh- 

 thyosaur-like tail for swimming. The final 

 chapter treats of the Chelonia, the most 

 sharply distinguished order of reptiles and 

 the one which had the most uniformly con- 

 tinuous and uneventful history from the 

 Triassic to the present time. 



This book is a thoughtful exposition of the 

 entire subject from a master hand, and while 

 necessarily technical in part, is written in 



such a style as to be eminently readable. It 

 departs from the great majority of popular 

 books of "ancient monsters" because it ia 

 written by one who has a world-wide reputa- 

 tion as an authority on the subject of which 

 he treats. 



In view of the success of the present volume 

 and of the preceding "American Permian 

 Vertebrates," Williston's announced volume 

 on the evolution of the reptiles is anxiously 

 awaited. 



Richard S. Lull 



Yale University, 

 February 1, 1915 



Festschrift Max Bauer zum siehzigsten Ge- 

 hurtstag gewidmet. Edited by R. Brauns. 

 Stuttgart, E. Schweizerbartsche Verlags- 

 buchhandlung, 1914. Pp. viii -f 568, por- 

 trait, 32 plates and 4Y text-figures; Neues 

 Jahrbuch fiir Mineralogie, Geologie und 

 Palaontologie, Beilage Band XXXIX. 

 As a richly deserved and most fitting tribute 

 of regard and esteem to a scientist of distin- 

 guished merit, the recent issue of a supple- 

 mentary volume of the "Neues Jahrbuch fiir 

 Mineralogie, Geologie und Palaontologie," in 

 honor of the seventieth anniversary of the 

 birth of Herrn Geheimrath Professor Dr. Max 

 Bauer, founder of the Mineralogical Institute 

 of the University of Marburg, enlists the sym- 

 pathies of all interested in scientific progress, 

 more especially in the domain of mineralogy. 

 This handsome octavo volume extends to nearly 

 600 pages, and is embellished with an excellent 

 likeness of Professor Bauer, as well as with 

 32 well-executed plates and 47 text-figures 

 illustrating the subject-matter of the various 

 articles. The dedication from his friends, co- 

 workers and students gives warm expression 

 to their appreciation of his services in the 

 cause of science. 



Of the many valuable papers in this testi- 

 monial "Festschrift" we can do little more 

 than cite the titles or indicate the subject- 

 matter. Professor Alfred . Bergeot, of Konigs- 

 berg, treats of the structure of the manganese 

 deposits at Meggen-an-der-Lenne, and empha- 

 sizes their value in a determination of the 

 geological formation of this region (pp. 1-63) ; 



