JlNE 28, 1895.] 



SCIENCE. 



725 



from the University press, edited by J. 

 Mark Baldwin and containing two articles 

 reprinted from the Psychological Review: 

 I. General Introduction — Psychology, past 

 and present, by the editor; and II. Freedom 

 and Psycho-genesis, bj' A. T. Oruiond. 



The Programme of the Department of Geology 

 of the University of Chicago for lS95-9(i 

 bears witness to the great strength of the 

 department. Tliirty-one courses are ottered 

 by the following officers of the department : 

 Thomas C. Chamberlin, Head Professor of 

 Geology; Rollin D. Salisbury, Professor of 

 Geographic Geology; Joseph P. Iddings, 

 Professor of Petrology; Eichard A. F. Pen- 

 rose, Jr., Professor of Economic Geologj': 

 "William H. Holmes, Professor of Arclueo- 

 logic and Graphic Geology; Charles R. Van 

 Hise, Non-resident Professor of Pre-Cam- 

 brian Geologj-; Oliver Cummings Farring- 

 ton, Instructor in Determinative Mineral- 

 ogy; Edmund C. Quereau. Tutor in Paheon- 

 tologic Geology. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADE3I1ES. 

 BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHIXGTOX. 



At the meeting of June 1st Dr. C. Hart 

 Merriam presented a paper on the Short- 

 tailed Shrews of Xorth America, stating 

 that an examination of many specimens 

 showed that the described species were only 

 four, Blarina brevicauda, B. caroUnenm, B. 

 parva and B. Berlandieri. He discussed 

 these and their distribution at some length, 

 saying that each species was characteristic 

 of one of the zoological divisions of Xorth 

 America. 



Dr. G. Brown Goode made some remarks 

 ou the Location and Record of Natural 

 Phenomena by a Method of Reference to 

 Geographical Coordinates. 



Dr. Gill presented a communication on 

 The Relations of the Ancient and Modern 

 Ceratodontidd'. 



He commented on the unusual degree of 

 interest connected with the Ceratodontids. 



The statement has been frequently made 

 that Cerutodu/' is the oldest living generic 

 type of fishes, and the identity of the living 

 fishes so-called with the inesozoic species 

 has been especiallj- insisted on. Tlie .speak- 

 er, however, had denied such generic ideu- 

 tity as early as 1S7S on account of the dif- 

 ference in the form and plication of the 

 dental plates, and had revived for the recent 

 genus the name Xeoceratoduf given in mis- 

 take by Castelnau to a specimen of the 

 genus. A new name, Epiceratodiig, has re- 

 cently been given by Teller to the same 

 genus aud must be abandoned. But Teller 

 has given us useful data respecting the 

 cranial characters of the mesozoic species, 

 and we now have information sufficient at 

 least to ofter hints as to the relations of the 

 ancient and modern forms. AVe can aflirm 

 positively that the recent Ceratodontids are 

 very different from the mesozoic species ; 

 that consequently they should bear the 

 name Xeoceratodus, unless a still earlier one 

 is applicable, and further that the differ- 

 ences between the living and long extinct 

 species are enough to ever difterentiate the 

 two as distinct sub-families, the reco^c/oii/iiite 

 including only extinct species and the Keo- 

 ceratodontiiin being a recent type. The dis- 

 tinguishing characters of the two were given 

 at length and derived from the dermal 

 bones, the modificsition of the posterior re- 

 gion of the head, and the protrusion of the 

 jaws. The ancient forms themselves belong 

 to at least twogeuera: C<'c<i/o(/((j<, typified by 

 ('. Kau])IL and Anticeratodui<. typified by C. 

 Stiirii, of Teller. The latter is distinguished 

 liy the contiguitj- of the two palatine plates 

 and their extended inner walls. 



Professor Lester F. "Ward exhibited spec- 

 imens of the rhizomes of the Gama Gra.ss, 

 Tripxaciim dnctyhidi.^, obtained at Great 

 Falls, Md.. on April 27th, which bore a 

 striking resemblauce to fossil forms de- 

 .scribed under the name of Caidlnitei, 

 Brongn.. and especially to C. parmnms, 



