:.'] Mineralogy. 687 



of Northwest Kashmir, and the palaeozoic and meta- 

 morphic rocks of the same district, as well as the tertia- 

 ries of the lower Kishanganga valley and Khazan. He also de- 

 scribes and figures the entire lower jaw of Pacliygonia iucurvata 

 Huxley, a labyrinthodont from the Panchet rocks, and portions 

 of the mandibles of Gouia^/y/^ns lutxicyi Lydekker, and Glyp- 

 tognathus th labyrinthodonts from the same 



group. Professor Whitney has recently published a work 



on the climatic changes of later geological times, in which 

 he maintains that our globe is gradually becoming desiccated 

 — a process that commenced in cretaceous times. The increas- 

 the 



ig dry 



ness, within historical times, of Persia, Arabia. 



ountric 



s around the Aral and Caspian, North Africa 



h-eece, 



is proved by abundant facts. Setting aside the rem 



of forests, and the effects of the glacial period, Profesf 



ney refers this decline in precipitation to a diminution of the 



earth's temperature consequent on lessened solar radiation. 



The May number of the (Vo '<g ,,„ Magazine contains contribu- 

 tions to the palaeontology of the Yorkshire oolites, by W. H. 

 Hudleston. with descriptions of a new genus and two new species 

 of gasteropods. To the same number Professor Marsh contri- 

 butes an article upon the wings of Pterodactyls. The " pteroid 

 bone" is maintained to be a part of the first digit; it supported a 

 membrane extending from near the shoulder to the wrist, and was 

 articulated to the "lateral carpal," which is probably the meta- 

 carpal of the first digit. Thus the wing fmger is the fifth, not the 



fourth, since the pteroid bone is upon 'the radial side. Dr. W. 



Flight continues his history of meteorites, and the Rev. B. Irving 

 his argument upon the classification of the European rocks known 



as Permian and Trias. In the same magazine Mr. H. H. Ho- 



worth considers the evidence of the loams and brick-earths in 

 favor of a post-glacial flood. He believes that the Diluvium of 

 Russia was continuous with the loam of France and Spain until 

 the outpouring of the volcanic mud, which, swept over and min- 

 gled with it by the great flood, constitutes the loess. Patches 



undisturbed, ami form brick-earth, while the remainder has been 

 altered and its pebbles rolled. The glacial period had passed, and 

 •ce would have scooped out the soft loam from the valleys, so that 

 the result could only have been accomplished by a great flood. 

 MINERALOGY. 1 

 A Phosphorescent Varifty of Limestone. — Through the 

 courtesy of Professor E D. Cope, the writer has had an oppor- 

 tunity of examining a remarkable substance recently found in one 

 °» the mountain mine, of I tali, near Salt Lake citv. It is a white 

 rock which phosphoresces with a lurid red light whenever struck 



■ V P rn.1 i H ( i \in ; i v , Uil i u.l \.i il S nces PIi - 



' : -..:■■.... . ' • : -: I 



