Revietvs — R. Ether idge's Australian Fossils. 567 



The species belonging to four genera are described ; three of them 

 are British — Edapliodon, Ischyodus, Elasmognathus ; the fourth in- 

 cludes a species from the Cretaceous rocks of New Zealand, belong- 

 ing to the recent genus Callorhynchus. The twelve plates (which 

 might have been improved) fully illustrate the descriptions, and 

 show the correlation and characters of the different parts figured. 



In comparing the prices of the above two Memoirs, there appears 

 to be something anomalous in their respective prices, one (Memoir 

 No. 1) being three times as much as the other, although each con- 

 tains the same number of pages, and the plates of the cheaper one 

 (twelve) exceeding both in number, fullness, and size those of the 

 other. Whether the cost of production of the two is very different, 

 or whether petrology ranks higher in the minds of the issue depart- 

 , ment than palseontology, and hence its greater price, or whether the 

 latter is the more favoured science, and hence furnished at a cheaper 

 rate, it is somewhat difficult to understand. These restrictive high 

 prices, as Mr. Eutley's memoir and the previous ones by Mr. De 

 Eance and Mr. Skertchly, preclude the student from possessing 

 these real useful works. 



The foregoing table of the generic characters of chimeeroid fishes 

 is taken from the author's work. 



II. — Australian Paleontology, 

 A Catalogue of Australian Fossils (including Tasmania and 

 THE Island of Timor) Stratigraphicallt and Zoologically 

 Arranged. By Eobert Etheridge, Jun., F.G.S. Edited for 

 the Syndics of the University Press. 8vo. pp. 240. (Cam- 

 bridge : At the University Press, 1878; London: Deighton, BeU, 

 & Co. ; and Cambridge Warehouse, 17, Paternoster Kow.) 

 TTIHE distribution of Animal and Vegetable Life in former periods 

 I of the Earth's History must always be interesting to the geolo- 

 gist. Any Catalogue of Fossils therefore, whether of a Formation 

 or of a country, when carefully prepared, cannot fail to be a most 

 useful contribution to our knowledge. 



Viewed in this light, we heartily welcome the list of Australian 

 Fossils by Mr. Eobert Etheridge, jun., not only as an exceedingly 

 convenient work of reference, but also because it exemplifies in a 

 remarkable degree the rapid strides which the Geology and Palgeon- 

 tology of Australia have made within a comparatively few years. 



This work was originally commenced in conjunction with his 

 former colleague Mr. Norman Taylor, in 1868, merely with a view 

 of carrying out more effectively their duties in connexion with the 

 Geological Survey of Victoria, on which Mr. Etheridge was at that 

 time an Assistant-Geologist. But the Survey (so ably conducted 

 by Mr, A. E. C. Selwyn, F.E.S.) was abruptly concluded by the 

 Victorian Government, before its completion, and the projected 

 Catalogue was for the time abandoned. 



It was resumed, however, by Mr. Eobert Etheridge, jun., alone in 

 1871, and he has since continued the task until its publication in 

 September of the present year ; so that the work before us may be 



