176 Reviews — The Palceontographical Society. 



5. The Fossil Mammalia of the Mesozoic Formations. By Professor 

 Owen, F.K.S., D.C.L., etc. pp. 115. Four plates. 



1. In Part I. of the Flora of the (Jarboniferous Strata the author 

 figm-ed and described various stems belonging to the genus Calamo- 

 dendron = Calamites.^ " Before proceeding to describe the structure 

 of more stems, it has been considered desirable," says Mr. Binney, 

 " to bring before the public some specimens showing Organs of 

 Fructification," In the present part, Mr. Binney figures and 

 describes fruits of Lepidodendron Harcourti, L. vasculare ; Lepido- 

 strohus Bussellianus, L. dubius, L. tenuis, L. levidensis, L. Mibbertianus, 

 L. ambiguus, L. WuenscManus, L. latus, and Boiomanites Cambrensis ; 

 this last-named form is evidently the same genus as the Calamite- 

 fruit from the spathic iron-ore near Hattigen on the Kuhr, described 

 by Eudolph Ludwig, and figured by us in the Geological Magazine, 

 1865, Yol. II., pp 545 (compare also the figure on pi. 12 with the 

 woodcut given in Geological Magazine, 1869, Vol. YI., pp. 294-5). 



In his concluding remarks Mr. Binney says, "This Monograph 

 no doubt the reader will have perceived was intended to be of a 

 descriptive character, rather than an attempt to trace the analogy 

 of those plants, the remains of which have formed our valuable 

 beds of coal, with living vegetables. My endeavours have been to 

 collect materials and give them to the public for botanists to work 

 upon" (p. 60). 



Notwithstanding this ingenuous statement, we cannot but regret 

 that such a beautiful series of plates, as Mr. Binney has contributed, 

 should be unaccompanied by carefully prepared botanical descrip- 

 tions, based upon an acquaintance with living vegetable structures, 

 feeling well assured that if palaeozoic animal remains are capable of 

 successful comparison with living forms, certainly vegetable struc- 

 tures may be so treated and with equal success. 



2. Dr. Wright contributes descriptions of the remaining forms 

 of Cyphosoma, and then proceeds with the family Salenidoe and the 

 genus Peltastes. The ten plates by Mr. C E. Bone, which illustrate 

 Dr. Wright's Monograph, are fine specimens of this artist's work. 



3. We heartily congratulate Mr. Davidson upon the completion 

 of his labour of more than twenty years in illustrating and de- 

 scribing the species of British Fossil Brachiopoda for the Palseon- 

 tographical Society. It is rarely that a scientific man is master of 

 bis own time, even should he be possessed of the other important 

 requisites, of ability and perseverance, to carry on to its successful 

 conclusion a labour so extensive. We cannot suppress a feeling 

 almost akin to envy when we contemplate these three grand volumes 

 of Brachiopoda now completed, as we ask ourselves the question, 

 " Shall we have as goodly a book to show after twenty years ?" 



1 See our remarks on Calamodendron, Calamites, etc. (RsYiew Men. Pal. Sec, 

 vol. xxi.), Geol. Mag., 1868, Vol. V., p. 426. 



