Marcu 14, 1884.] 
embraced in the two families just named. 
The authors describe and figure fifty-six new 
species of the Cochliodontidae, together with 
eight species previously published. They em- 
brace, in all, fourteen genera, six of which are 
new; namely, Vaticinodus, Stenopterodus, 
Chitonodus, Deltodopsis, Orthopleurodus, and 
Taenodus. The last is-a hitherto unpublished 
name, proposed by de Koninck. Of the Psam- 
modontidae, thirteen species (eleven new) are 
described and figured; eleven of them being 
referred to Psammodus, and two to Copodus. 
Eleven genera are recognized among the Ich- 
thyodorulites, one of which, Kunemacanthus, 
they propose as new. Of these genera, they 
describe and figure twenty-two species, only 
two of which have before been published. 
The specific and generic descriptions are full 
and clear, and Mr. St. John has made good 
use of his large experience in their discussion. 
Pages 269-322 and four plates are devoted 
to descriptions and figures of fifty-five species 
of crinoids, together with a few carboniferous 
shells. Descriptions of all these except one 
of the shells were published by Mr. Worthen, 
without illustrations, in 1882, in Bulletin No. 1 
of the Illinois state museum of natural history. 
On pp. 323-326 he describes eight species 
of carboniferous mollusca without illustrations. 
Pages 327-338 and one plate are occupied 
by Worthen and 8. A. Miller’s descriptions 
and illustrations of nine forms of echinoderms. 
Their material for this study was imperfect, 
and yet they have proposed five new genera ; 
namely, Compsaster, Cholaster, Tremaster, 
Hybochinus, and Echinodiscus. The latter 
they refer to the Agelacrinidae, together with 
Archaeocidaris. 
Pages 341-357 are occupied by Mr. Charles 
A. Wachsmuth. He figures and redescribes, 
in this volume, two echinoderms which he had 
SCIENCE. 
previously described in the bulletin of the Llli- 
nois state museum of natural history. Follow- 
ing this, he gives an important discussion of 
certain blastoids, with a description of a new 
genus, namely, Heteroschisma. 
The text of the volume closes with descrip- 
tions of three new species of blastoids by Prof. 
W. H. Barris. They are, however, without 
illustrations, except one woodcut. Professor 
Barris refers one of these species to Pentremi- 
tes Say, and the other two to Elaeacrinus 
Roemer. He rejects the generic name Nu- 
cleocrinus Conrad, because of the erroneous 
description which Conrad gave of it. Nu- 
cleocrinus is, without doubt, identical with 
Elaeacrinus ; but unfortunately Conrad’s type 
specimen, which is still extant, shows plainly 
that he mistook its base for its summit. Diag- 
noses are seldom perfect, and it is difficult 
to determine how much of error we ought to 
overlook in the retention of imperfectly de- 
fined genera. 
The letterpress and binding of this book 
are creditable ; but the illustrations are not up 
to that standard of excellence which was at- 
tained in the previous volumes, and which the 
present state of art demands. Still, they serve 
well for the identification of the objects which 
they are intended to illustrate. The make-up 
of the book has one inexcusable deficiency, 
which was, no doubt, due to an oversight, 
since the other volumes are free from this de- 
fect. We refer to the absence of any table of 
contents, or any reference in the index to the 
different authors, or the titles of their subjects. 
This does not detract from the merit of the 
work, however, which is, as a whole, very great : 
and the people of Illinois may well be proud 
of what has been accomplished by their geo- 
logical survey, even if it should now be sus- 
pended. 
INTELLIGHNCH FROM AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC STATIONS. 
GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS. 
Geological survey. 
Work in the District of Columbia. —It is intended 
to map about three hundred square miles of the 
region about Washington, including the District of 
Columbia and adjacent country on the north, east, 
and west, extending to a distance of about ten miles 
from the district boundaries in those directions. 
This map will be used for the delineation of the 
geological features of the district and adjacent coun- 
try, the investigation of which has been carried on 
for some time by Mr. W. H. McGee. The topographic 
work done so far consists mainly of the compilation 
and transferrence of material furnished by the Coast 
and geodetic survey in the form of original unpub- 
lished sheets upon a scale of 1-15,000, with contours 
twenty feet apart vertically, and covering the greater 
part of the area required for the immediate use of 
the geologist. Mr. S. H. Bodfish has been assigned 
to the topographic work, and will utilize all work 
previously done in the area above indicated by the 
coast-survey and the commissioners of the district. 
Springs of Florida. — Prof. L. C. Johnson, while 
working in Florida during January, gave some at- 
tention to the springs and wells in the vicinity of 
