BEVIEWS — THE CANADIAN NATURALIST AND GEOLOGIST. 165 



too general a scope to fulfil completely the end in question. The 

 field moreover is so wide, the resources so abundant, that with all 

 the efforts now making to give some literary and scientific value to 

 the Canadian Journal, and the anxious solicitude of its editors to 

 illustrate to the full the natural history and resources of the province, 

 ample space is left in this important department for the cooperation 

 of fellow-laborers. The success of a scientific periodical, like that 

 now offered to the Canadian public by the enterprise of Me. Bil- 

 lings, will obviously depend in a great measure on the judicious 

 blending of elementary principles with information of a new and 

 purely scientific character. In the number before us, the true object 

 of the publication seems to have been well sustained. The general 

 reader, anxious for information, yet ignorant of the technicalities of 

 science, will find in its pages much to instruct, much to interest, and 

 nothing to rebut. As an example, a description of a new encrinite 

 from the Trenton limestone, is preceeded by a brief but clear exposi- 

 tion, aided by illustrative woodcuts, of the structural characters and 

 organization of the crinoids generally ; and this is again preceded by 

 a sketch of the Trenton limestone itself, together with a popular ac- 

 count of the various rock formations throughout the province. Other 

 articles comprise a view of the classification of the animal kingdom 

 according to the system of Agassiz, with explanatory remarks ; de- 

 tailed descriptions, with woodcuts and a lithographed plate, of many 

 of the more common of our Canadian fossils ; and some exceedingly 

 interesting papers on the natural history and habits of the Moose 

 Deer, the Barren-ground, and the Woodland Carribou. 



The new crinoid, referred to above, belongs to the genus Glypto- 

 crinus, and is named G. ramulosus by the author.* It was obtained 

 from Brigham's Lake, Township of Hull, County Ottawa. The fol- 

 lowing is Mb. Billing's description— accompanied, however, in the 

 original by several engravings : — 



" Gljptocrinns ramulosus ; — The body or cup of this species is 

 covered with smooth plates, and broadly rounded or obscurely pen- 

 tagonal at the bottom. The height is about equal to the diameter at 

 the free rays. Five strong rounded ridges or keels proceed from the 

 base up the sides, following the centre of the rays. Upon the third 

 plate from the centre of each ray, the ridge divides into two branches, 

 which proceed up the secondary rays to the base of the free arms. 



*Mr. Billings points out in another place the resemblance of this species to Prof. 

 Hall's Schizocrinus nodosus. The two have certainly much in common. The cross 

 ridges on the plates, that salient character in Gtyptocri?iu8, are here wanting. 



