132 The American Naturalist. [February, 
eration cannot be overestimated in the attempt toward a complete 
phylogeny of organic beings. Viewed from an anatomical and 
embryological standpoint, the dead become rejuvenated; the 
“curious stones” live; the rocks disclose the great plan of life. 
More lasting, more useful, more worthy of contemplation are 
paleontological labors directed thus rather than to the indiscrimi- 
nate multiplication of species, to the mere description of curiosities. 
Not less important is the recognition of the mutual depend- 
ence of paleontology and stratigraphy for the attainment of the 
highest and most accurate results in generalizations. Heretofore 
these fields have been far too widely separated; and the work of 
one has been carried on practically independently of the other, 
with often very erroneous conclusions. But the present record 
shows that, in one instance at least, an intimate knowledge of both 
has been happily combined in the production of a very high grade 
of work. 
In the Canadian Record of Science for July Henry M. Ami has 
a papet On a Species of Goniograptus from the Levis Forma- 
tion, Levis, Quebec; and in the October number of the same 
journal, Additional Notes on Goniograptus thureauni McCoy, from 
the Levis Formation of Canada. 
Charles Barrois, in the Faune de Calcaire d’Erbray (Mém. de 
‘la Soc. Geol. du Nord, tome III., April, 1889), discusses the rela- 
tions of the American and European Devonian faunas; that of 
the region in question bearing a great resemblance to the North 
American Oriskany and Upper Helderberg. 
Charles E. Beecher, in the Memoirs of Peabody Museum, 
Yale University, Vol. II., Part 1, has an important contribution 
to the knowledge of that rare group of silurian sponges, the 
Brachiospongidz ; and, in the September number of the American 
Journal of Science, a Note on the Spider Arthrolycosa antiqua 
Harger. 
In the number for February 4, 1889, Vol. CVIIL, ofthe Comptes 
Rendus, is a note on Les Blattes de l'epoque houillére, by Charles 
Brongniart. 
Samuel Calvin describes a new species of Spirifera from the 
Hamilton Group near Iowa City; and Synonymy, Characters and 
