72 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLIII. No. 109S 



Hart, to electro-coagulation and to the author's 

 negative results with Beard's methods of 

 treating cancer with injections of pancreatic 

 ferments, as well as to the author's method 

 of starvation ligature of blood vessels and 

 lymphatic block in advanced cancer of pelvic 

 organs. The wide experience of the author 

 in this field, his insistence on applying the 

 results of theoretical research in clinical 

 surgery, give especial value to this, the larger 

 part of the book. This work ought therefore 

 to have a wide circulation especially among 

 physicians. Here it can do much good. To 

 the scientist who will keep in mind some of 

 the limitations of this book, it will give a con- 

 ception of the great variety of problems and 

 methods in cancer research. Leo Loeb 



Washington TJniversitt 



The Age of the Ocala Limestone. By Charles 



Wythe Cooke. TJ. S. Geol. Surv., Prof. 



Paper 95-1, 1915. Pp. lOY-117. 



In the first half of the last century it was 

 assumed by American geologists of the Atlan- 

 tic seaboard that certain extensive calcareous 

 formations in the Carolinas represented ter- 

 ranes intermediate between the Cretaceous and 

 lowest Tertiaries of Europe, or, perhaps were 

 " newest Cretaceous." This assumption seems 

 to have been made on account of the prev- 

 alence of light-colored, calcareous matter, 

 chalk, in the upper Cretaceous of the Old 

 World; the lithological resemblance of cer- 

 tain Cretaceous beds in Ifew Jersey to calcare- 

 ous beds of the south; the supposed identity 

 of certain molluscan species from both areas; 

 and the admixture of fossils from different 

 horizons (really brought about mechanically, 

 or from careless collecting). Lyell took a 

 keen interest in this strange formation in 

 America, and with his skill in observation " on 

 the spot," was able to place these " white lime- 

 stones " in the Eocene, to the satisfaction of 

 aU. 



Again in our Eocene stratigraphy we see 

 how a few accurate observations in the field 

 have upset our notions regarding sequence of 

 formations; this time, however, it is the 

 " Ocala limestone " so-called (yet strangely 



enough largely equal to Lyell's " white lime- 

 stone"), that has been the misplaced member. 

 Here, too lithological resemblance, precon- 

 ceived notions in faunal resemblances and un- 

 happy identifications have been at the base of 

 the trouble. Mr. Cooke's observations on the 

 fauna of the beds beneath the St. Stephen's 

 limestone in Alabama, has led to the identi- 

 fication of the same with the Ocala beds 

 of Florida. The preliminary paleontological 

 proof he brings to bear in favor of his conten- 

 tion seems very satisfactory. The Ocala lime- 

 stone, therefore, is upper Eocene (Jacksonian) 

 and below the Marianna limestone, and not 

 upper Oligocene and above the Marianna as 

 heretofore held. The importance of this reve- 

 lation on the geological mapping of Florida 

 is patent to all. We take great pleasure in 

 seeing the distinctness of Pecten poulsoni and 

 P. perplanus biologically and stratigraphically 

 emphasized. The " Ocala limestone fauna " 

 as modified by Cooke (p. Ill) has a most de- 

 cidedly Jacksonian aspect. The " Mitra like 

 millingtoni " is quite probably that species for 

 I have found it above the Claiborne " sand " 

 at Claiborne, Alabama, thus well on towards 

 Florida from Jackson, Miss. Scaphander 

 grandis is a most remarkably characteristic 

 Jacksonian form. Judging by trans-Missis- 

 sippian faunas, we should expect soon to find 

 in the Ocala such dominant forms as the 

 Fulguroid Levifusus hranneri, varieties of 

 Mazzalina inaurata; and we already have 

 traces of the high-spired " Amauropsis " in 

 Dall's A. ocalana. Incidentally, with the 

 Jackson age of the Wilmington beds estab- 

 lished, it will be interesting to watch the final 

 disposition of the following references : 

 Paludina (east), Wilmington, Jr. Geol. Soc. 



Lond., Vol. 1, 1845, p. 431, text fig. c. 

 Viviparia lyelli Con., Am. Jr. Conch., Vol. 1, 



1865, p. 32. 

 Polynices (Amauropsis) ocalana, Dall, Tr. 



Wagner, Ins. Sci., Vol. IH., 1892, p. 377. 

 Amauropsis Jachsonensis Harris, Proc. Phila. 



Acad. Nat. Sci., 1896, p. 474, pi. XIX., fig. 3. 

 G. D. Harris 



Paleontological Laboeatort, 

 Cornell University 



