316 Scientific Intelligence. 



226-242, 306-363. — In this and other publications, Duerden main- 

 tains that the Paleozoic corals begin their calcareous structures 

 with six primary septa, as in modern corals. The opinion generally 

 held is that ancient corals begin with four primary septa, there- 

 fore the name Tetracoralla. This view of tetramerism has lately 

 been reasserted by Gordon in this Journal (Feb., 1906). Carru- 

 thers shows that "the primary septal plan of these Rugose corals 

 is hexamerous" and "that Gordon's careful observations are in no 

 way inconsistent with the presence of a primary hexamerous plan 

 in the Rugosa, but, on the contrary, support that view." Gordon 

 maintains that in the Ordovician Streplelasnia there are four 

 primary septa, and that the presence of six in the Carboniferous 

 Lophophyllum is due to accelerated development having pushed 

 two secondary septa into the nepionic or brephic stage of growth. 

 Carruthers shows that in Ordovician Streptelasma and Carbonifer- 

 ous Gyathaxonia, Lophophyllum, and Zaphrentis, they first 

 develop a single septum, thus dividing the corallum into two 

 halves ; this he calls stage I. In stage II, these same corals 

 develop two new septa, "one on each side of the 'main' end of 

 the axial septum" and "eventually form the 'alar' primary septa 

 of Kunth." This stage then has four septa, to which in stage III 

 is added quickly another pair at " the opposite or ' counter ' end 

 of the axial septum," when the individuals may be said to have 

 attained final brephic growth. The discussion is of the greatest 

 importance and out of it wili come a final classification of the 

 Anthozoa. c. s. 



14. La P^aune Marine du Trias Superieur de Zacatecas ; par 

 Carlos Burckhaedt. Boletin 21, Inst. Geol. de Mexico, 1905, 

 44 pp., S pis. — Until this bulletin appeared last summer, during 

 the meetings of the Tenth International Congress, no marine 

 Triassic strata were known in Mexico. Previously the record 

 indicated terrestrial deposits with a flora of uppermost Triassic 

 (Rhaetic) age. In the work under review are described 5 species 

 of ammonites (Sirenites, Protrachyceras, Clionites, and Anato- 

 mites) and 21 species of Palaeoneilo. Elsewhere Freeh has 

 described a new genus, Cassianella, of this fauna. 



On the basis of the ammonites, the author, James Perrin Smith, 

 and Ed. von Mojsisovics have correlated the fauna of Zacatecas 

 with the Upper Triassic (Carnian) of California and the Julian 

 stage of the Austrian Alps. Sirenites smithi is closely related to' 

 S. laicsoni of California, while the genera Clionites and Anatomites 

 have allied species in the same state. The forms of Palaeoneilo 

 remind one of the American Devonian and basal Mississippian, 

 but no particular importance can be ascribed to .these bivalves, 

 because the same genus is also reported in the Alpine Triassic 

 and in the Upper Jurassic of Russia. The other Paleozoic 

 reminder, one of the Aviculidae described by Freeh as Cassianella, 

 also occurs in the region about San Cassiano of the Tyrolese 

 Alps. 



This Mexican marine Upper Triassic invasion is a shallow-water 



