1884.] | Geology and Paleontology. 1257 
lines, viz., the Dinosauria and the Pterosauria, one or both of 
which terminated in the birds. 
fhe birds. appear to form an ascending series, with few or no 
exceptions, 
The line of the Mammalia is mainly ascending. Probable ex- 
os are the Edentata, the Sirenia and the Cetacea—&. D. 
ope, 
THE Permanence oF Ocean Beps.—Rev. O. Fisher publishes 
a letter in the Geological Magazine for September, in which he 
strongly supports the doctrine of the permanency of the ocean 
s, closing as follows: : 
“Extensive changes of level seem to me to be the most difficult 
to account for of all the phenomena of geology. And the greater 
the changes, the greater the difficulty. The permanence of the 
respective areas seems therefore to involve less difficulty than their 
interchange. | published in Mature (Jan. 12, 1882), a suggestion 
to account for the origination of ocean basins. It is rather re- 
markable that the first and only allusion to it which I have seen 
as just now come from New Zealand in Dr. Haast’s address at 
Canterbury College. Accepting Professor Darwin's theory that 
€ moon broke away from the earth more than fifty million years 
ago, I think the ocean-basins may be the scar that was formed, 
and that the basement rocks of continents are fragments of the 
crust which had already solidified, and which were left behind. It 
has since occu rred to me that the archzan rocks may be the verit- 
able remains of it. I would refer to my published article for the 
details of the grounds on which I think this theory plausible. Dr. 
aast uses rather too strong an expression in saying that I ie 
Eoripted to prove it. It is probably incapable of proof, even i 
e” * 
dition has 
GroLtocicat Nores.—General—The German Expe ha 
Ought back the information that the island of South T 
composed of clay slate. This was not only found i . the in- 
taken from the débris brought down by the pecs kom 
