416 Reviews — Our Scientific Journals. 



find that, after a period of so many years, we have again a good 

 paleeobotanist actively at work in this country — one who, from his 

 connection with the Botanical Department in the British Museum 

 (so rich in memorials of the late Eobert Brown, its former keeper), 

 may naturally be expected to excel in this branch of science. 

 The pages of the Geological Magazine contain many valuable 

 contributions to fossil botany from Mr. Carruthers' pen. The article 

 in the " Popular Science Eeview " should be read by all who wish 

 to obtain a good notion about the origin of coal. 



4. The Intellectual Observee maintains its character admirably, 

 having within its pages a goodly store of information on things in 

 general, and the heavenly bodies in particular. The very remarkable 

 change first observed by Schmidtinthe lunar crater of "Linne," situated 

 in the plain of the Mare Serenitatis (noticed in the ''Intellectual 

 Observer " in January last, and also in many subsquent numbers) sup- 

 posed to be the result of a volcanic eruption, appears (from the 

 August number) still to rest upon very slender evidence. There is 

 great truth in the concluding remarks of M. Elie de Beaumont, 

 "that if observers, placed in the moon, viewed Vesuvius or Etna 

 before and after an eruption, they would only notice very slight 

 changes. A great eruption, even of Vesuvius, would produce no 

 other effect than to diminish slightly the depth of the semicircular 

 trench of the Atrio del Cavallo and to change its colour. Seen 

 from the moon, such an alteration would appear problematical, and 

 give rise to discussions among observers. A single change, how- 

 ever slight, would show that geological life exists in the interior of 

 the moon, as well as of our earth. 



The May and June numbers contain an account of the structure 

 and systematic position of Graptohtes, by Mr. W. Carruthers, F.L.S. 

 (with two excellent plates). The author, after giving their history, 

 structure, and classification, concludes by a consideration of their 

 affinities to living forms, and gives good reasons for placing them 

 among the Hydrozoa, although a somewhat abnormal form of that 

 class. We should notice two other geological articles which appear 

 in the August number, one by Mr. Bernard H. Woodward (eldest 

 son of the late Dr. S. P. Woodward), " On the Geology and Ferns of 

 Glen Clova; " the other "On the Origin of the Cheddar Chffs," by 

 D. Mackintosh, Esq., F.G.S. The latter gentleman's name is well 

 known as a frequent contributor to the pages of the Geological 

 Magazine. 



E-IEI^oieTS .A.ITID I=I^OC:EEI5Z3<;^a-S. 



Geological Society of London. — June 19, 1867. — Warington 

 W. Smyth, Esq., M.A., F.E.S., President, in the chair. The follow- 

 ing communications were read : — " On CyclocyatJius, a new genus of 

 the Cyathophyllidea, with remarks on the genus Aulophyllum." By 

 P. Martin Duncan, M.B., Sec.G.S., and James Thomson, Esq. 



