314 Scientific Intelligence. 



sented by a single form, and the Protoblattoidea by two. On 

 the other hand, Blattoidea are well represented by 98 species. 

 In the higher or true Permian of Russia the first Plecoptera, or 

 May-flies, are found, in 4 species, and the first transitional forms 

 to the hemipteroids in the Protoherniptera and Palaeohemiptera. 



Triassic. — The number of good species is 21 in 20 genera. 

 Nineteen of these relate to the cover wings of Coleoptera 

 and 2 are Neuroptera. This marked paucity of insects in the 

 Triassic is explained oh the ground that the climate was then 

 arid and consequently there was a scarcity of insect life. These 

 fossils occur in Germany, southern Sweden, Queensland, and 

 Massachusetts. 



The American Mormolucoides articulatus, the author states, is- 

 certainly a water-inhabiting larva. Its insect nature is indicated 

 by the division of the body into three parts, — head, thorax with 

 3 segments, and abdomen with 9 segments. The postabdomen is- 

 terminated by short cerci. It is more probable that this form is 

 the larva of a megalopteron- or neuropteron-like insect. 



Lias. — Of good species there are 266 in 145 genera. In addi- 

 tion there are 149 poor species. Nearly all these are dwarf forms 

 found chiefly in Switzerland, Mecklenburg, and England. There 

 are as yet no butterflies and but few Hymenoptera, while the 

 caddice-flies and scorpion-flies were abundantly represented. 

 There were also dragon-flies, bugs, small cicadas, grasshoppers, 

 locusts, and cockroaches. c. s. 



7. Geology and Coal Resources of the Cape Lisburne Region ,. 

 Alaska; by Arthur J. Collier. Bull. No. 278, U.S. Geol. 

 Surv., 1906, 54 pp., 9 pis. — This bulletin is especially interesting 

 in establishing the fact that workable coals of Lower Carbonifer- 

 ous (Mississippian) and of Upper Jurassic age occur in this far 

 northern region. The Paleozoic coals are noncoking semibitumin- 

 ous in beds up to four feet of clean coal. These are at the bottom 

 of the section, and the plants indicate a Lower Mississippian age 

 "slightly younger than the Ursa flora." Above is a great series 

 of marine beds with many corals, also indicating Mississippian 

 age. The Upper Jurassic section is very thick, not less than 

 15,000 feet, in which the author notes 39 coal beds varying in 

 thickness from a few inches to 30 feet. The total thickness of all 

 the coals is 137 feet. They are of low grade, but better than 

 average lignite, and are noncoking. The flora indicates Upper 

 Jurassic age "not younger than the Wealden." c. s. 



8. Die Trochilisfcen ; von A. Karpinsky. Mem. Comite 

 Geol. St. Petersbourg, new ser., liv. 27, 1906, 166 pp., 3 pis. — 

 Under this little-known term, first used by Pander, are described 

 and discussed with great care those minute Devonian fossils 

 known in America as Calcisphcera, Mwllerina, and in part as 

 Saccamina. Their nature is as uncertain as their names, since 

 authors have regarded them as calcareous alga?, Foraminifera, and 

 the eggs of armored fishes. All occur in marine or brackish- 

 water deposits. Karpinsky recognizes two genera, — Sycidium (3- 



