576 Obituary — Mr. John King. 



ON THE STRUCTURE AND AFFINITIES OF THE PLATYSOMIDJE. 



Sir, — I am very sorry to find that my esteemed friend, Professor 

 H. Alleyne Nicholson, has in the new edition of his " Manual of 

 Palaeontology " (vol. ii. p. 138, footnote) committed the mistake of 

 quoting me as his authority for elevating the Platysomid fishes 

 to the " rank of a distinct division of Ganoids." No such propo- 

 sition occurs in the unpublished paper to which he refers, which 

 was wiitten to follow up the views indicated in my account of 

 the structure of the Palasoniscidas (Pal. Soc. Mon. 1877) regarding 

 the abolition of the suborder " Lepidopleurida?," necessitated by the 

 demonstration of the fact that the Platysomidas, as a family, are not 

 really allied to the Pycnodontidse, but are on the other hand so closely 

 linked to the Palaeoniscidas, by ties of structure, that wherever we 

 place the latter family, thither the Platysoniidse must follow. 



My paper on the " Structure and Affinities of the PlatysoinidaB " 

 was read before the Eoyal Society of Edinburgh on May 5, of this 

 year, and will in a few weeks appear in the forthcoming fasciculus of 

 that Society's Transactions. Prof. Nicholson's mistake has obviously 

 arisen from his having had only a very hurried glance over my proof- 

 sheets, and that only on a single occasion. K. H. Tkaquair. 



8, Dean Park Crescent, Edinburgh, 



12tA Nov. 1879. 



MISCELLAUEO TJS. 

 We are glad to notice that Mr. G. A. Lebour, F.G.S., Lecturer in 

 Geological Surveying in the University of Durham Col]ege of 

 Physical Science, Newcastle-on-Tyne, has in preparation a Nomen- 

 clator Stratigraphicus, or Handbook of the Nomenclature of the 

 Sedimentary Eocks. This work, which has been in hand for several 

 years, consists of a list — as complete as may be — of the subdivisions 

 of the Geological Scale now, or at any time, in use in this country 

 or abroad. The names are arranged in alphabetical order as the 

 easiest for reference. In every possible case the author responsible 

 for each name is mentioned. The date of publication, the meaning 

 when it seems necessary, and the equivalence, are also given. 

 The volume will be of at least 250 pp., and will be published as 

 soon as the number of subscribers has reached two hundred. Price 

 to subscribers 7s. Qd. Subscribers' names and subscriptions may be 

 sent to Mr. G. A. Lebour, 2, Wooclhouse Terrace, Gateshead-on-Tyne. 



OBITTJAEY. 

 We regret to learn the death of Mr. John King of Thorpe Hamlet, 

 Norwich, whose extensive collection of fossils from the Upper Chalk 

 of the country around Norwich was at all times open to students. So 

 long ago as 1833 Mr. King's collection was noticed as a large one, 

 containing many rare specimens (S. Woodward, Geology of Norfolk, 

 p. 32). These ultimately included a fine series of Echinoderms, 

 Mollusks, Sponges, etc. ; and numerous flints cut and polished to 

 show organic and inorganic structure. Mr. King was the surviving 

 partner of the well-known firm J. & J. King, Stained Glass Painters, 

 etc., of Norwich. He died on October 19, aged 72 years. — H. B. W. 



