200 Scientific Intelligence. 



most recent Oldhamina and Lyttonia, however, there are from 

 fourteen to forty lobes. The latter represent the highest expres- 

 sion of the ptycholophus stage of brachial development in brachi- 

 opods (see Beecher, Bull. XL S. Geol. Surv., JSo. 87, 1897, p. 108). 

 In the dorsal valve the lobes of the brachia lie between the eleva- 

 tions, while the so-called lateral septa of the ventral valve lie 

 between the recurved bands of each brachial lobe. 



Noetling thinks that Oldhamina lived with the " dorsal valve 

 directed downward and probably partially buried in the mud." 

 This is an anomalous mode of life for any brachiopod other than 

 Lingula. The early cemented condition of these shells indicates 

 that Oldhamina lived like other related forms, i. e., with tlxe 

 ventral valve underneath. 



The Lyttoniidre are known in India only in the Upper Permian, 

 i. e., in the Middle or Upper Productus-limestone. They are also 

 known in the Himalaya; at Loping, China; Rikuzen, Japan; 

 near El Paso, Texas, and in Nevada. The occurrence of the 

 older forms has been mentioned above. 



Noetling concludes : " Against one's will the impression is 

 made that shortly before extinction the Paleozoic brachiopods 

 once more attained a great development. Probablj r , however, on 

 account of this accelerated development, they held in themselves 

 the cause for their early extinction, as shown by the aberrant, 

 weak, and possibly even degenerate forms." It is one of the 

 remarkable occurrences that at the close of the Paleozoic, in 

 different stocks of the Strophomenacea, aberrant forms became 

 numerous. These genera are Keyserlingina, Oldhamina, Lyt- 

 tonia, Loczyella, Tegulifera, Richthofenia, .Proboscidella, and 

 Scacchinella. c. s. 



7. The Tower of Pelee: New Studies of the Great Volcano 

 of Martinique ; by Angelo Heilprin. Pp. 62, 4to with xxii 

 pis. Philadelphia, ^1904 (J. B. Lippincott & Co.). — The results of 

 the studies by the author of the volcanic phenomena of Marti- 

 nique have already been partly made known in several valuable 

 papers which he has published. The present work contains 

 much interesting descriptive matter and some important sugges- 

 tions concerning the nature and cause of volcanic action, but its 

 chief interest lies in the description and explanation of the 

 remarkable monolith which rose from the top of Mont Pelee 

 until nearly a thousand feet in height. In spite of repeated 

 shattering and breaking it maintained by constant upward 

 growth a great height for many months before it disappeared. 

 This tower of rock Professor Heilprin regards as the solidified 

 plug of lava filling the conduit of the volcano from a previous 

 active stage which was driven up and out by the renewal of vol- 

 canic activity which has recently taken place, and not as the lava 

 of the present epoch, cooling and solidifying as it is forced 

 upward. The facts and arguments favoring this view are pre- 

 sented in detail, since the latter idea has been held by other 

 investigators. The volume is an important and timely contribu- 



