272 The American Naturalist. [Mareh, 
and the large areas of limestone uncovered (of Miocene, Pliocene and 
Plistocene age) in the Greater Antilles have furnished an admira- 
ble field for the groups of land snails that survived on the summits of 
the islands. The Bahamas have appeared above the surface of the 
sea, either by elevation or growth, and have been peopled by forms 
drifted from Cuba and Haiti, and a number of land and fresh-water 
species have been recently colonized in South Florida, probably since 
the Glacial epoch. (Proceeds. U. S. Natl. Mus., Vol. xvii, 1894.) 
Fossil Mammals of the Lower Miocene White River 
Beds.—A part of the collection made in 1892 for the American 
Museum at New York by Dr. Wortman, has been made the subject of 
a paper by the collector in conjunction with Prof. Osborn of Columbia 
College. The novel points presented are : 
1. New characters of the Lower Miocene Rhinoceroses, including 
two new types, A.trigonodum and A. platycephalum. 
2. The osteology of Metamynodon. 
3. The basioccipital characters of Oreodon as developed in succes- 
sive horizons. 
4. The determination of two species of Anthracotherium, and addit- 
ional characters of the American Hyopotamus. 
An importantant adjunct to the paper is a tabular statement of the 
succession of species in the White River Miocene. (Bull. Am. Mus. 
Nat. Hist., 1894.) 
Geological News.—Arcurean.—According to Prof. H. P. Wood- 
ward, the Archean rocks are more largely developed in Western 
Australia than in any other portion of the world. The series is highly 
contorted, being folded into a number of parallel folds striking north 
and south. These folds form naturally six distinct belts which differ 
in the character of the rocks. Beginning at the west, the first belt is 
composed of comparatively soft rocks, intersected by dikes of diorite 
and granite, and veins containing lead, copper, zinc and iron. The 
second belt is of hard, crystalline rocks also intersected by granite 
dikes, and but few mineral bearing veins. The third is a granite belt, 
absolutely destitute of mineral veins. The fourth, fifth and sixth are 
rich in gold, iron and copper. (Geol. Mag. Dec., 1894.) 
_ Paxeozorc.—According to Mr. Walcott, the oldest Cambrian 
fauna known in western United States is found in the White Moun- 
tain range of Inyo County, California, where the author traced a coral 
