. 
246 Recent Literature. ; [ April, 
Dawson, and has apparently not noticed my reply to the remarks 
of the Jatter gentleman. He observes (p. 351): “ We may ad- 
mit, however, that while the Tertiary age was at its beginning 
represented as a land formation as seen its flora, a cretaceous 
marine fauna may have still locally persisted in deep seas. Facts 
of this kind are recorded in the European geology. The presence 
formation are as generally terrestrial or, (in the case of the 
fishes) fresh-water in their character, as are the plants described in 
his valuable report now under review. I may here note the fact 
that Maj. J. W. Powell, who has followed Dr. Hayden in regard- 
ing the Wasatch epoch as of Tertiary age, was disposed at 
one time to place its inferior boundary below the Agathaumas 
bed, so excluding the latter from the cretaceous series. Las 
season’s examination of the locality at Black Butte, by Prof. C. 
‘A. White, has convinced that gentleman that the boundary be- 
tween the cretaceous and Tertiary formation is where I placed it, 
above the Agathaumas bed. 
As regards the Lower Focene character of the Wasatch beds, I 
have furnished abundant and conclusive evidence in various publi- 
cations, which are summarized in the Vol. IV, of the Final quarto 
reports of Lt. Geo. M. Wheeler, published in 1877. This period 
witnessed the introduction of the Mammalian fauna in large num- 
bers to North America, and forms the beginning of Tertiary time. 
Prof. Lesquereux’s conclusion that it is of Miocene age, is nega- 
tived by the Vertebrata, which are typically lower Eocene. We must 
conclude then that not only was a Cretaceous fauna contemporary 
with a Tertiary flora in North America, but that the flora spans the 
greatest gap in the history of vetebrate life. We must also be- 
lieve from the evidence offered by Prof, Lesquereux, that a 
Miocene flora was contemporaneous with an Eocene fauna. Since 
a Jurassic flora is still, according to Dr. Hector, existing in New 
Zealand, it must be evident that the positions of strata in the 
scale will be far more accurately determined by a consideration of 
the Vertebrata, than of any other form of life-—&. D. Cope. 
RECENT Books AND PAMPHLETS.—National Academy of Sciences. Biographi- 
cal Memoirs. Vol. 1. Washington. 1877. 8vo, pp. 343- 
Proceedings of the National Academy. Vol. 1. Washington. 1877- Svo, 
p. IIQ. 
Sponges considered as a distinct sub-kingdom of animals. By A. Hyatt. ibs $ 
the Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History, Vol. xix, Nov. 1, 1870- 
8vo, pp. 5- a 
Geological Survey of Canada. General Notes on the Mines and Minerals of a 
