422 Reports and Proceedings — 



» 



Five-sevenths of his book deal with Physical Geology, the historical 

 portion being very briefly, and it may be somewhat inadequately, 

 treated, although it is illustrated by some 350 capital cuts. It is 

 only fair to the author to say that he looks upon Palaeontology, on 

 principle, as an auxiliary science only, and not, as too many writers 

 of text-books would appear to do, as the main end and object 

 of Geology. 



In the account of the various great geological stages, the author 

 scarcely does justice to his advanced views when he retains, even 

 apologetically, so misleading a term as ' Epoque de transition.' In 

 including the Coal-measures in the Terrain Carbonifere, on the other 

 hand, good service is done, since the custom of limiting the application 

 of this term to the Carboniferous Limestone Division is one much on 

 the increase among French geologists, and one fruitful of misunder- 

 standing. 



Eestorations of fossil vertebrates are confessedly to a certain extent 

 hypothetical, but even with this reservation it is difficult to believe 

 that the Megalonyx was really quite such an extraordinary beast in 

 the flesh as he is represented in fig. 464, or that the body of the 

 Pterodactyl was clad in particoloured scales like a serpent ! ! fig. 347 

 — almost the only two illustrations in the book to which exception 

 can be taken, the rest being, when new (as many of them are), of a 

 high order of excellence, and when otherwise, chosen from the best 

 among old friends. 



That the physical division of his work is up to the present state of 

 knowledge will be seen when it is said that Dr. Carpenter's latest 

 dredgings, that Mr. droll's " Excentricity " results, and that the 

 current theories of both are utilized by M. Contejean. Indeed, the 

 list of authors quoted which precedes the copious Index is a sufficient 

 proof that the oft-repeated, and not altogether undeserved, accusation 

 that French men of science are apt to ignore foreign work, does not 

 apply in any degree to the author of this manual of Geology. 



G. A. L. 



:r,:e:fo:r,t;3 jlhstid iPsociEiEiDiisra-s. 



Geological Society of London. — June 9th, 1875. — John Evans, 

 Esq., V.P.E.S., President, in the Chair. — The following communica- 

 tions were read : — 



1. "On Prorastomus sirenoides, Owen. (Part II.)." By Prof. 

 Owen, C.B., F.B.S., F.G.S. 



The author has submitted the skull of a Sirenian from Jamaica, 

 described by him in 1855 under the name of Prorastomus sirenoides, 

 to a careful re-examination ; and in this paper notices the characters 

 revealed by further removal of the matrix, and discusses the bearings 

 of the facts thus ascertained upon the relations of the animal and of 

 the Sirenia generally. The parts which have been brought to light 

 are the base and roof of the cranium, the zygomatic arches, the hind 

 half of the mandible, with the articular part of the condyle, and the 

 greater part of the atlas. The characters presented by these parts 



