﻿224 
  Scientific 
  Intelligence. 
  

  

  pense 
  of 
  road 
  improvements, 
  and 
  the 
  advantages 
  of 
  good 
  roads, 
  

   by 
  Harry 
  Fielding 
  Reid. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  excellence 
  of 
  paper, 
  illustrations, 
  and 
  its 
  general 
  make- 
  

   up, 
  this 
  volume 
  maintains 
  the 
  high 
  standard 
  of 
  previous 
  volumes. 
  

   If 
  one 
  part 
  may 
  be 
  selected 
  for 
  special 
  comment, 
  it 
  is 
  Part 
  IV, 
  

   on 
  the 
  present 
  condition 
  of 
  Maryland 
  highways, 
  written 
  by 
  

   Arthur 
  N. 
  Johnson, 
  formerly 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  Massachusetts 
  

   Highway 
  Commission. 
  Based 
  upon 
  a 
  thorough 
  examination 
  of 
  

   the 
  highways 
  of 
  Maryland, 
  the 
  report 
  presents 
  a 
  very 
  complete 
  

   account 
  of 
  their 
  present 
  condition 
  and 
  future 
  needs. 
  In 
  the 
  

   latter 
  half 
  of 
  the 
  article, 
  detailed 
  information 
  is 
  given 
  regarding 
  

   the 
  roads 
  and 
  their 
  problems 
  in 
  each 
  county, 
  illustrated 
  by 
  colored 
  

   geological 
  maps 
  of 
  each 
  county, 
  with 
  the 
  roads 
  marked 
  in 
  their 
  

   relations 
  to 
  the 
  geological 
  formations. 
  Detailed 
  explanations 
  are 
  

   given 
  of 
  the 
  position 
  and 
  use 
  of 
  different 
  kinds 
  of 
  rock 
  for 
  road- 
  

   making 
  purposes. 
  The 
  combination 
  of 
  pure 
  science 
  and 
  practical 
  

   utility 
  is 
  here 
  brought 
  to 
  a 
  high 
  degree 
  of 
  perfection 
  and 
  success. 
  

  

  w. 
  

  

  3. 
  A 
  Memoir 
  on 
  the 
  Paleozoic 
  Reticulate 
  Sponges 
  constituting 
  

   the 
  family 
  Dictyospongidce 
  ; 
  by 
  James 
  Hall 
  and 
  John 
  M. 
  

   Clarke. 
  Memoir 
  II, 
  New 
  York 
  Geological 
  Survey, 
  350 
  pages, 
  

   lxx 
  plates. 
  Printed 
  1898. 
  — 
  This 
  memoir* 
  brings 
  together 
  into 
  

   one 
  volume 
  of 
  text 
  and 
  plates 
  all 
  that 
  is 
  known 
  at 
  the 
  present 
  

   time 
  of 
  this 
  most 
  interesting 
  family 
  of 
  fossil 
  sponges. 
  Not 
  only 
  

   have 
  the 
  forms 
  occurring 
  within 
  the 
  limits 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  of 
  New 
  

   York 
  been 
  studied 
  and 
  i'ully 
  illustrated, 
  but 
  comparisons 
  have 
  

   also 
  been 
  made 
  with 
  specimens 
  from 
  Pennsylvania, 
  Ohio, 
  and 
  

   Indiana, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  from 
  Brittany, 
  England, 
  and 
  Germany. 
  In 
  

   the 
  desire 
  to 
  render 
  the 
  memoir 
  as 
  complete 
  as 
  possible, 
  the 
  

   authors 
  have 
  introduced 
  some 
  earlier 
  forms, 
  the 
  grouping 
  of 
  

   which 
  with 
  the 
  Dictyospongidse 
  may 
  be 
  doubtful, 
  especially 
  those 
  

   founded 
  on 
  isolated 
  spicules. 
  

  

  Other 
  species 
  described 
  are 
  omitted 
  from 
  the 
  scheme 
  of 
  classifi- 
  

   cation 
  and 
  lack 
  positive 
  evidence 
  as 
  to 
  relationships. 
  In 
  com- 
  

   pleteness 
  of 
  description 
  and 
  illustration, 
  the 
  memoir 
  is 
  all 
  that 
  

   could 
  be 
  desired, 
  but 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  regretted 
  that 
  more 
  is 
  not 
  given 
  

   in 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  development 
  of 
  the 
  individual 
  and 
  the 
  intimate 
  

   and 
  necessary 
  relationships 
  between 
  structure, 
  growth, 
  and 
  form. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  noted 
  that 
  the 
  living 
  sponge 
  approaching 
  nearest 
  to 
  the 
  

   Dictyospongidaa 
  is 
  the 
  "Venus 
  Flower 
  Basket," 
  Euplectella 
  

   aspergillum. 
  Like 
  Euplectella 
  the 
  fossil 
  forms 
  were 
  thin-walled, 
  

   vase-like 
  sponges 
  sustained 
  by 
  a 
  delicate 
  network 
  of 
  siliceous 
  

   spicules, 
  but 
  in 
  many 
  details 
  they 
  departed 
  from 
  this 
  modern 
  rep- 
  

   resentative. 
  They 
  measured 
  from 
  several 
  inches 
  to 
  two 
  feet 
  or 
  

   more 
  in 
  height 
  and 
  lived 
  in 
  colonies 
  on 
  the 
  sandy 
  and 
  somewhat 
  

   muddy 
  bottoms 
  which 
  extended 
  at 
  comparatively 
  shallow 
  depths 
  

   over 
  southern 
  New 
  York, 
  Pennsylvania, 
  Ohio, 
  and 
  Indiana, 
  dur- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  Upper 
  Devonian 
  and 
  Lower 
  Carboniferous. 
  Their 
  exist- 
  

  

  * 
  Briefly 
  noticed 
  on 
  p. 
  69. 
  

  

  