84 Notices of Memoirs — Geology in Russia. 



If the conclusions herein expressed in the interpretation of the 

 abdominal appendages of AsapJms megistos are correct, then the mark 

 of doubt in No. 5 of Woodward's homological table may be removed. 



Prof. E. Van Beneden, of Belgium, believes the Limuli are not 

 Crustaceans, and, from a study of their embryology, concludes that 

 they cannot be separated from scorpions and other arachnida. This 

 view, in which he is not alone, if correct, would carry the Trilobites 

 out of the class of Crustacea. 



Dr. Packard, in his excellent work on the " Development of 

 Limiilus polypJiemiJis," places the Xiphosura and Eurypterida as 

 suborders under the order Merostomata, which is followed by Trilo- 

 bita as a separate order. This view is accepted by Di\ Lockwood 

 and Mr. C. D. Walcott. It remains for zoologists to place whatever 

 value may attach to the fact of the appendages of Trilobites sub- 

 serving the purposes of branchial organs, of manducation, and of loco- 

 motion, either ambulatory or natatory. 



iTOTiGiES o:f 3v^:E]I!vd:oII^s. 



The Geological Committee of Russia. 



THE recent arrival in this country of the first Eeports of the 

 Geological Committee of Eussia furnishes some information 

 regarding that body. It was instituted in 1882 by order of H.I.M. 

 the Czar, under the Ministry of the Domains of the Empire, their 

 centre being the Institute of Mines, St. Petersburg. The Committee 

 has been formed for the purpose of studying systematically the 

 geological constitution of Eussia and for the construction of a detailed 

 geological map of the Empire. 



Besides the 8vo., Eeports refen-ed to, Memoirs will be published 

 in 4:to. illustrated by plates and maps, the first volume of which 

 is now in the press. The Committee are desirous of exchanging 

 these with the geological publications of other countries. 



The staff consisted when established of a Director, three Senior 

 Geologists, three Junior Geologists, and a Curator. 



The first volume of Nos. 1 — 6 of volume 2 of the Eeports are 

 unfortunately for many English Geologists printed in the Eussian 

 language, but the Committee propose to give a precis in Ei-ench or 

 German of their Memoirs as published. Besides the proceedings of 

 the committee meetings, the Eeports contain joapers, mostly of a 

 preliminary character, on work done in the field in 1882. They are 

 as follows : — 



In vol. 1, A. Karpensky, On the Origin of the Iron Ore of the 

 Donetz Basin. In vol. 2, Nos. 1 — 6, P. Krolofi', Preliminary Account 

 of Geological Investigations made in the Government of Perm ; 

 Th. Cherneshefif, Account of Investigations on the Western Slope of 

 the Urals ; A. Shtookenberg, On Geological Investigations made in 

 the Government of Perm ; S. Neketen, On the Palaeozoic Geology of 

 Sheet 58 of the General Geological Map of European Eussia (scale 

 10 miles = 1 English inch), containing Yaroslave, Eostof, Koliazin, 



