Geology and Natural History. 475 



on the development of natural resources. Under the guidance 

 of Dr. L. Cockayne, President of the Congress, stock was taken 

 of the present state of the many problems affecting agriculture, 

 forestry, engineering, and other national activities and methods 

 for improvement suggested and discussed. In the section on 

 biology and agriculture, 23 papers were presented — the titles 

 including plant diseases, seed testing, need of a national herba- 

 rium, the status of entomology and fisheries. In the section 

 on geology the need of a better support for a Geological Survey 

 was emphasized. The 12 papers on chemistry, physics, and 

 engineering concern hydroelectric developments and other 

 matters important to the Dominion. The Congress recom- 

 mended the establishment of a soil survey, a seismologic station, 

 a magnetic survey, a Dominion herbarium, official bench marks, 

 standard time. The government was urged to appoint a paleon- 

 tologist and to take more vigorous action in preserving the 

 native fauna. h. e. g. 



3. Descriptions and Revisions of the Cretaceous and Tertiary 

 Fish-Remains of New Zealand; by Frederick Chapman. New 

 Zealand Department of Mines, Geological Survey Branch, 

 Palaeontological Bulletin 7, 1918. Pp. 47, 9 pis., 1 map, 2 figs. — 

 Fish remains numbering 551 and including the collections 

 figured by J. W. Davis (Sci. Trans. Roy. Dublin Soc. ser. 2, 

 vol. 4, 1888) have been found at 34 localities in New Zealand. 

 They belong to the following genera : 



Notidanus Lamna Callorhynchus 



Synechodus Isurus Thrissopater 



Cestracion Carcharodon ■ Scombroclupea 



Galeocerdo Pristiophorus Diplomystus 



Carcharias Trygon Labrodon 



Scapanorhynchus Myliobatis Sargus 



Odontaspis Ischyodus 



Eleven species are assigned by Mr. Chapman to the Cretaceous, 

 27 are found only in the Tertiary Series, and 5 are common to 

 the Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary. "The existence of a pas- 

 sage series (Cretaceo-Tertiary) with closely annectent elements" 

 supports the evidence from the Foraminifera that no very defi- 

 nite break occurs up to the Miocene. Another contribution is 

 thus made to the much discussed question of the extent and sig- 

 nificance of the unconformities? between the Amuri limestone 

 (late Cretaceous) and the Weka Pass stone (Eocene), and 

 between the Weka Pass stone and the younger formations. 



H. E. G. 



4. The Prickly Pear in Australia; by W. B. Alexander. 

 Institute Science and Industry, Melbourne, Australia, Bulletin 

 12, 1919. Pp. 48, 1 pi., 16 figs.— The prickly pear (Opuntia 

 inermis), introduced into Australia as a garden plant, found a 

 congenial home and has become a formidable enemy to agricul- 



