June 1-1, 1895.] 



SCIENCE. 



659 



partiallj' explored, as the thorough revision 

 of the syuonomy aud geological distrihu- 

 tion of the well-knowu forms descriljed Ky 

 the earlier paleontologists. At present tlie 

 confusion is so great in many faunas that it 

 becomes almost a hopeless task for the 

 geologist to use the evidence with any hope 

 of satisfactory results. 



It is therefore very gratifying to find that 

 the elaborate volumes upon the geologj- of 

 Minnesota are to be accompanied by ex- 

 haustive reports upon the paleontology of 

 the State. The first of these monographs, 

 constituting Part 1., of Volume III., of the 

 Final Reports, has just appeared aud treats 

 cluerty of the Lower Silurian fiiunas of tlie 

 southeastern portion of the State. 



The introductory- chapiter consists of an 

 • Historical sketch of investigation of the 

 Lower Silurian in the Vpper ^Mississippi 

 Valley ' and contains a chronological cata- 

 logue of the paUeontological writings upon 

 this subject, including lists of the species 

 described. 



Although the introduction deals only 

 with the Lower Silurian, the first chapter 

 is devoted to the Cretaceous fossil plants, 

 a posthumous publication of Leo Lescjue- 

 reux. Some twenty-eight species, six of 

 them new, are described, the majority of 

 the forms being also figured. More than 

 half of the determinable species have been 

 found in the States to the west, and the 

 Hora as a whole indicates the Dakota group 

 as the geological horizon. 



The second chapter deals with the micro- 

 scopical fauna of the Cretaceous and is chief- 

 ly given up to a description of the Foramini- 

 fera, most of which are from boulder clay, al- 

 though regarded as derived originally from 

 the Cretaceous. Thirty species, represent- 

 ing eighteen genera, are determined. The 

 authors are Woodward and Thomas. 



The three remaining chapters of the 

 volume are devoted to the fauna of the 

 Lower Silurian, the third and fifth chapters 



being by Winchell aud Schuchertand deal- 

 ing with the ■ Sponges, Graptolites and 

 Corals ' and tlie ' Brachiopoda.' The au- 

 thors follow Ilinde in placing Receptaculites 

 and Ischadites among the Hexactinellid 

 sponges, and Ulrich in regarding Cylindro- 

 coelia and Heterospougia as Calcispongije. 

 If the latter i-eference should prove correct 

 it is of interest as the earliest occurrence of 

 representatives of that order. Among the 

 corals a new genus, Lichenaria, regarded 

 as related to Cohunnaria, but without septa, 

 is established. 



The rich Brachiopod fauna receives very 

 exhaustive treatment, as might be antici- 

 pated from so thorough a student of the 

 subject as Mr. Schuchert. Altogether 

 eighty-two species with many varieties are 

 recognized, of which several are new. 



The longest chapter in the volume is that 

 upon the Bryozoa by E. 0. Ulrich. As a 

 class the fossil Bryozoa are most difiicult, 

 and the difierent attempts at their syste- 

 matic classification have not been attended 

 hitherto with the most s;itisfactory results. 

 To the author of the i)resent chapter we 

 are indebted more than to any one else for 

 our knowledge of the Paleozoic repre- 

 sentatives of this group. In the classifica- 

 tion adopted, however, the reference of the 

 Monticuliporoid forms to the Bryozoa is not 

 in accordance with the more recent conclu- 

 sions in this line. 



The report as a whole is a most valuable 

 contribution to the paleontologj' of the 

 Upper Mississippi basin, and will supply a 

 distinct want to the invertebrate paheon- 

 tologist. The State Geologist is deserving 

 of much credit for the admirable manner in 

 which the volume has been brought out, 

 and it is to be hoped that other State Sur- 

 vej-s, which pay little attention to the 

 paleontology of their States, may be in- 

 duced to pursue the same course. 



AViLLiAM B. Clark. 



JOHN'S HOI'KI.VS rxiVERSITV. 



