600 Scientijic Intelligence. 



Titicaca, is stated to suggest the presence of the sea, at no very 



distant period, at a height of 12,500 feet. — BuU. Comp. Zool., iii. 



The facts have a special interest from the fact that there are now 



no coral reefs on the South American Coast south of C'ape Blanco, 



near the equator, owing to the cold oceanic currents of the coast. 

 The Coast Range would have been a protection against those cur- 

 rents in the era of the Tilibiche coral reefs. 



2. Caspian A'm.— The zoology of the Caspian Sea has recently 

 been studied by Mr. Oscar Grimm, with important results. He 

 has found in this great half-salt lake 120 animal species, and states 

 that the whole number existing there must exceed 150 species. 

 His discoveries include 6 new species of fish, (a Gohius and 

 five BenthophiU), 20 species of Mollusks, {Rissoa dimidiata, 

 HydroUa Caspia, H. spica, II. stagnalis with two varieties, 

 Eulima conus, Neritina litnrata, Lithoglyphus Gaspius, Bythinia 

 Mchwaldi, Planorbis Mchwaldi, sp; n., Cardium edule and var. 

 rusticum, G. Gaspium, G. crussum, G. Trigonoides^ Adacna vitrea, 

 A. edentula, A. plicata, A. Imviuscula, Dreissena polymorpha, D. 

 Caspia, D. rostriformis, and some other terrestrial and fluviatile 

 MoUusca), a Bryozoan {Bowerbankia densaYoxYQ, in which the 

 colonial nervous system may be admirably seen), and about 35 

 species of Crustacea, among which we find the family Gammaridse 

 in particular represented by colossal forms and Idothea entomon 

 in considerable quantities. Then there are 20 species of worms 

 {Sabellides octocirrata), numerous Turbellaria, two sponges {Ee- 

 niera Jlava, sp. n., or perhaps a variety of B. alba O. Schm., and 

 another Reniera in the larval state), and, lastly, 13 Protozoa, 

 among which are 6 new species. 



The most interesting gatherings were made at 108 fathoms. At 

 the dredge brought up 350 specimens of Gammarids, 

 jns of Idotea entomon., 50 

 I multitude of large speci- 

 mens of Hydrobia Gaspia, Breissena rostr/formis, and enough 

 more of zoological specimens to make four times this number. 



Among the author's conclusions are the following. These species 

 common to difierent seas, show the aflinities of the Caspian Sea to 

 the Aral Lake, the Black Sea, and the Arctic Ocean ; but the affin- 

 ities with the glacial sea seem to be more recent than those with 

 the Black Sea ; for in the latter certain species, such as the seals, 

 Gorego/ius leucichthys, and others which are common to the 

 Caspian and glacial seas, are wanting. We may suppose that in 

 the Tertiary epoch there existed in Europe and in the neighboring 

 parts of Asia a vast closed basin of fresh water. By an upheaval 

 of the crust of the earth, due to the action of internal forces 

 which still make themselves felt energetically in the region of the 

 Caspian, this was separated into some smaller basins, which are 

 the existing Black Sea and the Aralo-Caspian basin. The latter 

 in its turn was afterward divided, just as we still see, into two 

 small salt lakes separate from the Caspian. At the same time the 



