398 Recent Literature. [Ape 7 
geologist, and, in a scarcely less degree, every European one 
whose geology is sufficiently comprehensive, must welcome such 
a work as the present, and thank Mr. Miller for the patient care 
with which he has arranged nine thousand valid generic and spe 
cific names, besides more than two thousand italicized synonyms. 
The author does not claim perfection, but has taken care to come 
as near to it as can reasonably be expected. With the exception — 
of three names in the Echinodermata, no families have been ad- 
mitted except such as have been already defined. The etymol - 
ogy has received, in great part, the revision of Professor E. W. 
Claypole, who contributes a preface upon the construction ofsys- 
tematic names in paleontology. This is followed by an introdue | 
tion to stratigraphical geology; in which Mr. Miller clearly states | 
his belief in the fossiliferous nature of Eozoon ; gives the approxi- 
mate thicknesses of the groups of strata and states at what hori- 
zon the various animal groups first made their appearance, B® 
total thickness of the palzeozoic beds is given at about twenty-eight : 
miles, The classification is not up to the present standard. Allthe | 
plants enumerated are given under the caption “ Plante; ’ Hacc 
name, “ Protista,” is used to include the Rhizopoda and Porifera, 
among which Nullipora has in some way become intercala ae 
the sub-kingdom, Radiata, is retained, and its species are A 
betically arranged under the heads “ Polypi” and “ Echino | 
mata ;” and the Bryozoa and Brachiopoda are classed ' 
but are separately catalogued. No attempt is made 
characters of any family or larger group, excepting In the a 
some new groups of Echinodermata, which we will refer to age 
There are, as might be expected in so exhaustive a wor ee 
The work is a valuable one, and will lose none of its va ue by Be 
demonstration of a few shortcomings which a third edition’ 
easily correct. 
the family of the Turdidz or thrushes. We find this 7 
more intelligible than the systematic writings of omma 
usually are, and commend it as a valuable monograP” ine 7 
nominal family of the Saxicolida is abolished ; the pei mi 
are included, while the Miminæ are dismissed to the WM ago 
and much more comes from relying on structure | 
physiognomy, and abandoning “instinct” in . ae ae 
Under criticism like that of Me Ridgway and Dr. Stejneg’? 
thology will soon rank among the exact sciences. 
1 Proceedings of the U, S. National Museum, 1883, p- 449° 
