458 
mate equivalents in well-known sections may 
be pointed out. The exact location in the gen- 
eral vertical section of the region in which it 
lies must, of necessity, be determined suffi- 
ciently near to enable future recognition. 
5. Biologic Definition.—The value of the fos- 
sils contained in a terrane varies greatly with 
the size of the succession of strata considered. 
The rapid replacement of faunas in local 
successions enables a number of zones to be 
made out, each of which is characterized by 
certain forms which predominate. From the 
purely paleontological standpoint this enables 
the strata to be subdivided in great detail. 
However, the real geological relations of the ter- 
ranes are lost sight of almost entirely. With- 
out going into details, there are ordinarily cer- 
tain characteristic faunal or floral phases which 
constitute important features by which terranes 
may be distinguished from one another, or 
which, at least, greatly aid in this determina- 
tion, especially when taken in connection with 
the criteria. Each terrane may be regarded as 
possessing biotic characters which should be 
clearly set forth. 
6. Economic Content.—In the practical delimi- 
tation of a geological terrane, and in tracing 
it over a considerable area, the ore or mineral 
deposits of commercial value that are contained 
form valuable determinative factors that are 
rarely taken into consideration ; or, at least, in 
the descriptions of formations little note is ordi- 
narily made of them. While with many, if not 
most terranes, the contained ores are not origi- 
nal depositions, but are secondarily acquired 
long after the rocks in which they occur were 
laid down, they are, nevertheless, of such pecu- 
liar organization and composition that they are 
seldom found either in the layers above or be- 
low. Furthermore, a rock terrane may be 
traced for long distances by the occurrences of 
valuable deposits along the line of the outcrop, 
or it may be recognizable by these alone over 
broad areas in which other characters of the 
terrane give no evidence of its existence. In 
correlating exposures somewhat widely sepa- 
rated, it is often only through the economic con- 
tents that a reliable clue is given to their 
identity. 
CHARLES R. KEYEs. 
SCIENCE. 
[N. S. Von. X. No. 248. 
ZOOLOGICAL NOTES. 
THE collection of birds formed by H. E. 
Dresser and constituting the basis for his work 
on the ‘Birds of Europe and Monographs of 
the Rollers and Bee-Eaters’ has been presented 
to the Manchester Museum, England, by a 
friend who wishes to remain anonymous. Some- 
thing over 1,000 species are represented, by 
about 10,000 specimens, illustrating differences 
of plumage due to age, sex and locality, all 
carefully labelled. 
HITHERTO the turkey buzzard has pursued a 
peaceful, if malodorous existence, unharmed by 
the whims of fashion, but this quiet has been 
disturbed by the present demand for eagle 
feathers for ladies hats. The supply of eagles 
is not equal to the demand, and as Ulysses is 
said to have eked out the skin of the lion by 
using that of the fox, so dealers substitute the 
primaries of the turkey buzzard for those of the 
eagle. 
TuHE lastreport of the Royal Zoological Society 
of Amsterdam commemorates the sixtieth year 
of its existence and briefly reviews the more 
important events in its career. Besides the 
well-known zoological garden the society main- 
tains a fine aquarium, zoological museum, 
museum of paleontology and geology, ethno- 
graphical museum, and library, a combination 
which affords fine facilities for scientific work. 
It will be remembered that Furbinger’s monu- 
mental work on the morphology of birds was 
among the publications of this society. The 
amount of food consumed by the animals is 
rather appalling, but the long list of members 
which closes the report shows the abundant re- 
sources of the Society. The ‘sport mania’ is 
deplored as being largely responsible for the 
extermination of large mammals, and, among 
other items, it is noted that no less than four- 
teen African elephants were born in the gar- 
dens. F. A. L. 
RECENT ZOO-PALEONTOLOGY. 
Dr. Max Scutosser, of Munich, contributes 
to a recent number of the Palxontographica a 
very important article upon the origin of the 
bears. Setting aside the generally accepted 
hypothesis of Gaudry, that Ursus sprang from 
Hyznarctos and that from Amphicyon, he traces 
