1890.] Geology and Paleontology. 957 
Cretaceous, as first determined by Cope: rst. It contains an inverte- 
brate fauna that has in it many Cretaceous elements; Mactra alta, 
Cardium speciosum, and several species of Inoceramus being also found 
in the Fox Hill group. 2d. It contains, according to Cope and 
Marsh, a vertebrate fauna which is decidedly Cretaceous in character. 
3d. The somewhat numerous mammals obtained from the Laramie by 
Cope and Marsh are reported by them to have decided Mesozoic 
characters. 
Cenozoic.—Some fossil fish remains found in the Oligocene strata 
in the Isle of Wight have been referred by Mr. E. T. Newton to the 
genus Clupea and named C. vectensis. (Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc., Feb. 
1889). 
Of seven species of fossil butterflies from Florissant, Cal.,. described 
by S. H, Scudder, six are new, and are referred by him to five new 
genera. Five of the seven belong to the sub-family Nymphalinz, one 
to Pierine. The last represents a nearly extinct type, the sub-family 
Libytheinz, and is of especial interest. 
M. Deydier has found*in the fresh-water limestone deposits of Rata- 
voux, near Cucuron, a mandible of Castor jegeri Kaup, a true 
Miocene species, which has not heretofore been recorded in the Leberon 
fauna. (Bull. Soc. Geol. de France, Tome dix-huitiéme.) 
À fossil fish found in the Pliocene deposits near Antwerp has been 
referred by Raymond Stomes to the genus Thynnus, under the name 
T. caldisii, (Bull. Soc. Belge de Geol. de Paleon. et d’Hydrol., 1889.) 
Plistocene.—In the Trans. Roy. Soc., 1889, Dr. J. W. Spencer 
discusses in detail the best developed beach of the Ontario basin, to 
which he gives the name Iroquois Beach. He does not agree with Mr. 
Gilbert as to the existence of glacial barriers closing the St. Lawrence 
valley. Not only is it unnecessary to believe in the existence of such 
a barrier to keep out the sea-water, as witness the present Gulf of Obi, 
butit seems impossible to believe in the existence of great glacial 
dams above sea-level sufficiently permanent to develop such regular 
beaches and terraces as the Iroquois, which indicate a wave-action of 
as long duration as that upon the modern beaches of Lake Ontario. 
According to Dr. Spencer, in a paper read before the Geological 
Society of America, soundings demonstrate the presence of submarine 
valleys reaching upon all our coasts to depths of 3,000 feet or more; 
that these soundings show that within comparatively short distances 
. . Am Nat.—October.—6. 
