1883.] Recent Literature. 397 
science. Summarizing geological opinions, Mr. Davis thus con- 
cludes, in a way which seems to us to be reasonable and sound: 
“The amount of glacial erosion in the central districts has been 
very considerable, but not greatly in excess of preglacial soils and 
old talus and alluvial deposits. Most of the solid rock that was 
carried away came from ledges rather than from valleys; and gla- 
ciers had in general a smoothing rather than roughening effect. 
In the outer areas on which the ice advanced it only rubbed down 
the projecting points; here it acted more frequently as a deposit- 
ing than as an eroding agent. 
“No large lakes have been produced by glacial erosion ; the 
number of true rock-basins of erosion has been greatly exagger- 
ated. The most considerable topographic effect produced by gla- 
ciers is the heaping of various morainal deposits on an area 
smaller than their source, and in this way very often forming hills 
of considerable size. A similar indirect result of glacial erosion 
is seen in the very numerous lakes made by drift obstructions in 
preglacial valleys.” 
Lymay’s OPHIUROIDEA OF THE CHALLENGER EXPEDITION- - 
This sumptuous quarto is in fact a monograph of the sand-stars 
of the world. In reporting on the twenty new genera and one 
morous, satirical and critical, regarding genealogical trees, which 
he humorously styles “ a sort of zoological herald’s college.” He 
‘then pays his respects to the “jargon in which zoology is now 
Smothering,” and gocs on to say that “in addition to a gigantic 
classification, to form which the dead languages have been torn 
up and recomposed, there is an ever-growing crop of anatomical 
and embryological terms.” It is time, we think, that criticism 
Should be directed against the tendency to increase an already su- 
a nomenclature, however useful or judicious a limited one 
MILLER’S AMERICAN PaLæozoic Fossits.2—Every American 
"Report on the Scientific Re e 3 of, 
sults of the Voyage of H. M. S. “ Challenger,” etc. 
aeey —Vol. V, part XIV. Published. by order of her Majesty’s Government. Lon- 
A 2. 4to, pp. 386 plates. 38s. 
American Paleozoic Fossils. A catalogue of the genera and species, with 
raai of authors, dates, places of publication, pei of rocks in which found, and 
ati On ey and signification of the words. By S. A. MILLER. pp. 334- Cincin- 
©. Published by the author; 
. 
Ohi 
