Reviews — Meyer's Catalogue of Tertiary Fossils. 137 



promises in the sequel to supply materials by which the Faunas 

 of the various Tertiary basins may be compared : under which, that 

 of the Swiss valley will be as interesting as any. 



M. Meyer still adheres to the old Geological term ''Tertiary," 

 and includes the great Nummulitic series, in all its equivalents ; but 

 he shows in the sequel where and why a line should be drawn, 

 which would detach the Nummulitic from the true Kainozoic series, 

 or that of which every part contains some proportion of living forms. 



In his Catalogue of species of fossil shells M. Meyer does not 

 proceed according to any systematic arrangement. His first part 

 comprised the Chenopides, the Strombides, and the Ficulides. In 

 Part 2 are the Mactrides, and the Pholadomyides. Numerous 

 species are reviewed, as to their range vertically, and their geogra- 

 phical distribution. Other columns, such as that of the money value 

 of a specimen, or, again, that of its relative abundance or scarcity, 

 might have been dispensed with. 



To each Part of the Catalogue a Geological Introduction is prefixed. 

 In his last M. Meyer proposes to make two additions to his previous 

 scale (Tableau synchronistique des Terrains Tertiares, 1865), — the 

 one quite at the base of the series, between the " Danien " and the 

 " Suessonien ; " the other, now the 12th, between the " Tortonien " 

 and " Astien." The first of these is to include a fauna which haa 

 recently been discovered below any former subdivisions of the 

 Belgic Nummulitic group ; the other for certain beds which he 

 had formerly considered as forming the lower portion of the 

 " Astien " stage, but which he has now separated, in accordance 

 with the views of M. Seguenza. Few geologists will agree with M. 

 Meyer that this addition to the already long series of his " Tertiary '* 

 stages makes that period of more importance than either the Jurassic 

 or the Cretaceous ; but most will go with him in this — that they 

 render more desirable than ever that the " Tertiary " period should 

 be formed into two symmetrical and natural groups. 



M. Meyer disposes summarily of older Geological arrangements. 

 What, he asks, is the Pliocene ? A simple stage, like any other ; 

 based, in Italy, on the preceding stage, and connected with neigh- 

 bouring stages by so large a portion of its fauna, as hardly to retain 

 a characteristic species. What is the Miocene? A jumble of four 

 distinct stages, stratigraphically considered, of which the first 

 (Aquitanien) has in common with the uppermost (Tortonien) but 

 certain living species, and a few which make their appearance from 

 the Tongrien period. Wliat is the Oligocene ? Three stages which 

 occur in the little North German Tertiary basin, and which are 

 joined together, because there accidentally is a break both above and 

 below them, but the which are more completely distinct from one 

 another than the lower and the higher are from those which precede 

 or follow. 



" But since it would be well to establish one or two great 

 sections in the over-long Tertiary Series, it seems to me that 

 there is a method of separation which above every other has 

 the advantage of being convenient and perfectly symmetrical. 



VOL. V. — NO. XLV. 10 



