GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY. 



387 



to have been taken by some of the Members of the Assembly, on the score of un- 

 necessary expense, to certain details connected with the mode of publication. 

 This appears to have led to the nomination of a select committee, to report upon 

 the matter at issue and on the completion, in general, of the Natural History of 

 the State. The Report of this committee, dated April 8th, 1856, is now before us. 

 It condemns most unequivocally the present system of publication as one of un- 

 paralleled extravagance, but on grounds which we believe to be altogether erro- 

 neous. The system is to a certain extent, and necessarily, a costly one ; but the 

 cost, we repeat, is fully sustained by the character and acknowledged utility of the 

 work. A strong objection is made in the Report to the number of figures or 

 illustrations. Undoubtedly a smaller number might have been given, but with 

 what result — simply the lowering of the work from its present high position to one 

 of comparative mediocrity, alike prejudicial to the reputation of the State from 

 which it emanates, and to the interests of science generally. In many instances, 

 it is only by numerous and varied figures, that the true value of assumed 

 specific or even generic distinctions can be shewn: more especially in the case of 

 fossil specimens, in which distortions and obscurities unavoidably abound. To the 

 earnest student, a single figure, it is well known, is often worse than useless ; and 

 we have no doubt that Professoi Hall could add, with much benefit to science, 

 many new examples to those already figured in the completed volumes. The 

 Report observes— "The first volume of the Palaeontology of New York, describes 

 381 species, illustrated by 2,000 figures on 100 plates, making the average num- 

 ber to exceed five figures to a species. One thousand figures ought to be regarded 

 by all scientific men, as amply sufficient." Against this judgment we venture 

 without hesitation to protest — knowing full well, that palaeontologists, that all in- 

 deed who have had anything to do with fossils, will bear us out in our objection. 

 Shackle the author by diminishing the legitimate number of his figures, and the repu- 

 tation of the work is at once destroyed. We trust, therefore, not only for the 

 sake of American science, but for that of science in general, that the original plan 

 of the publication will be suffered to prevail. A false economy in the present in- 

 stance, with half the work completed, would be most suicidal in its effects. 



EX.APHUS OR CERYUS CANADENSIS. 



A large fragment of a right horn belonging to the wapiti, or Canadian stag,* has 

 lately been presented to the Canadian Institute by Mr. T. C. Gregory, resident en- 

 gineer of the Great Western Railway. It was found imbedded in drift clay, eight 

 feet below the surface of the ground, near the left bank of the River Thames, a few 

 miles from London, C. W. The museum of the Institute possesses a fine and very 

 perfect pair of horns of the same species. The wapiti was formerly abundant in 

 all parts of Canada ; and its horns, &c, are of common occurrence in our bogs and 

 marshes. An interesting description of the animal will be found in the second 

 number of the Canadian Naturalist and Geologist. 



SUBSIDENCE OF THE NEW JERSEY COAST. 



The second Annual Report of the Geological Survey of the State of New Jersey, 

 lately published, contains some exceedingly interesting observations by the Assis- 

 tant Geologist, George II. Cook, on the rapid < ncroachroent of the sea on the 

 coast line of the State : a phenomenon due in part to the abrading action of the 

 waves, and partly to the actual sinking of the laud. Mr. Cook remarks, "While 



Commonly but erroneously call' il tii" oik. 



