1880. | Geology and Palecntology. z 609 
£ w, E.—Ancient Japanese rituals. Zy. As. Soc. of Japan, VIL, ii, iv. 
SCHJEFNER, PROF.—On the languages of the Caucasus. Zr. Philol. Soc., 1879. 
Srour, Rev. H.—Inscriptions in Shimabara and Amakusa. Zy. of As. Soc. of 
Japan. Vil, iii. 
TAYLOR, E. C.—Musical instruments of all ages. Vat. Repository, April. 
GEOLOGY AND PALAONTOLOGY. 
Extinct Barracuia.—The recent discoveries of Dr. Anton 
Fritsch in the Permian “ gaskohle” of Bohemia,' have added 
greatly to the interest of this subject. This gentleman has discov- 
ered many specimens in an excellent state of preservation. This 
enables him to give details of the osteology of several types, which 
has been hitherto a desideratum. He refers all the Batrachia to 
the Stegocephali, and has, up to this time, given an account of the 
species of three families, for which he uses the names Branchio- 
Sauride, Apatcontide and Æstopoda. He gives thorough 
accounts of the structure of a leading genus in each, of Branchio- 
Saurus, Melanerpeton and Dolichosoma respectively. The speci- 
mens are so well preserved that his descriptions and figures are 
very instriictive.. He shows that Branchiosaurus possessed 
branchize apparently internal, and of a totally different type from 
those of existing gilled Batrachia or their extinct representative, 
Cocytinus, from the coal measures of Linton, Ohio.. Dolichosoma 
was, like our Phlegethontia, a snake-like form, with ribs and with- 
Out extremities, and with external gills. The presence of ribs 
distinguishes it from our Phlegetiontia, although Dr. Fritsch 
thinks the present writer in error in denying them to the latter 
genus. He thinks he sees them in the figure of P. serpens in 
Vol. 11 of the Palaontology of Ohio, The marks in the position 
of ribs on the block there figured, were stated to represent, in all 
probability, traces of the longitudinal tendons so well developed 
in Amp/liuma, and they furnish no ground fora belief in the 
presence of ribs. Dr. Fritsch describes some curious pectinate 
bones which he supposes to belong to the external generative 
Organs of Ophiderpeton. 
Dr. Wiedersheim gives? a very full account of the osteology of 
an only moderately preserved specimen of a batrachian from the 
Bunter sandstone (Lower Trias) of Switzerland. The structure 
of the pelvic and scapular arches, and of the limbs, are best given, 
and a cast of the cranial cavity is described. He reviews the 
Systematic work previously done, intercalating his own results. 
e remark here that in one instance he takes an analytical key 
ol genera given by Cope for a systematic classification, and very 
naturally criticises it adversely. . 
1 
187 
? Labyrinthodon rütimeyeri Abh. d. Schweiz. Paleont. Gesselsch. Von, R. Wie- 
dersheim. Zürich, 1878. ; 
esra der Gaskohle und der Kalksteine der Permformation Boehmens. Prag 
1880. 
