Geology and Natural History. 479 



a mass of Halimeda increased 2£ inches in height and 3£ inches 

 in thickness in six weeks ! The drill cores were sent from Funa- 

 futi to England and were examined in microscopic sections by 

 Professor Judd and Dr. Hinde (pp. 167-361). The quantity of 

 calcareous algae is surprisingly large. Oolitic structure and 

 stratification are absent and there is no admixture of deep water 

 organisms, the same genera and species occur from top to bottom 

 of the section. Extensive chemical and mineralogical changes 

 have taken place in the rock since the corals were living, and 

 these changes have been studied in detail by Professor Judd and 

 Dr. Cullis. 



The reviewer is disappointed to find no discussion of the origin 

 of coral reefs as illustrated by this typical atoll, yet the conclu- 

 sion seems unavoidable that subsidence has been the chief cause 

 of growth of the reef in this case. The workers in the Funafuti 

 project deserve high praise for the conception of the scheme, for 

 its successful execution under discouraging circumstances, and for 

 the valuable scientific results obtained. 



3. A Revision of the Paleozoic Bryozoa • by E. O. Ulrich 

 and R. S. Bassler. Part 1. On the Genera and Species of 

 Ctenostomata. Reprinted from the Smithsonian Collections 

 (Quarterly Issue) vol. 45, published April 11, 1904. — In this first 

 part of the much needed revision of the Paleozoic Bryozoa, the 

 authors discuss all the known species which can be referred to 

 the order Ctenostomata. While the rather peculiar fossils so 

 classified can not be proved to belong to this order, most of 

 whose members are living species, the evidence seems to point 

 strongly in that direction. The greatest objection is that the 

 zoaria of the recent species are horny or membranaceous, while 

 those of the Paleozoic forms were sufficiently calcareous to be 

 preserved. The species, which number thirty-three, are arranged 

 under five genera and three families : the Rhopalonariidse 

 (Mhopalonaria) , the Vinellidse, new family, ( Vinella, Hetero- 

 nema, gen. nov. Allonema gen. nov,), and the Ascodictyonidse 

 (Ascodictyon). It will be noticed that the family Ascodictyon- 

 idse is here restricted to the typical genus and Vinella removed 

 to a new family erected to include it and its allies. It is to be 

 regretted that the authors have seen fit to insert here descrip- 

 tions of a new genus and two new species, Heteronema? con- 

 textum sp. nov. and Ptychocladia agellus gen. et sp. nov. which 

 are of so problematical a nature that they admit that the one 

 may be a sponge and the other an alga or some peculiar type of 

 Foraminifera. While there is reason for publishing descriptions 

 of such peculiar organisms in order to get the opinion of other 

 writers on the subject, it does not seem desirable to give new 

 names, particularly new generic names, to fossils whose characters 

 are so obscure that they cannot be definitely referred to any 

 class or even kingdom. It is better to await the discovery of 

 good material, as publication at this time only invites further 

 revision. In addition to the description of the species, the paper 



