: ? ? 
342 
deposition attributed by geologists to a subsidence 
of the crust, are, in fact, due to periodic oscilla- 
tions, or upheavals of the oceanic surface, producing 
thereby inundations of the land-masses; and that such 
is the nature of much of the newer sedimentations, 
e.g., Jurassic of Russia. The position here main- 
tained, a revival of the views of many of the older 
geologists, is anticipated by Professor Edouard Suess, 
who, in his ‘ Antlitz der erde’ (Prague, 1883), clearly 
indicates the necessity of invoking the assistance of 
periodic oceanic fluctuations of level to account for 
the existence of much that has been heretofore at- 
tributed to terrestrial subsidence. 
—The seventh Saturday lecture in the National 
museum was on Feb. 16, by Prof. E. D. Cope, on the 
‘Origin of human physiognomy and character,’ —a 
discourse the main features of which have already 
been published in the American naturalist. On Feb. 
23, Mr. John Murdock, late of the signal-service party 
at the Oglaamie station, North Alaska, gave a very 
vivid account of “Eskimo life at Point Barrow.’ 
— Mr. E. R. Quick has presented to the Brookville 
_ (Ind.) society of natural history his entire collection 
of birds, numbering several hundred specimens, most- 
ly North American. This is one of the largest and 
best-arranged collections in the state. The society 
is this year providing a course of free lectures upon 
popular scientific subjects for the benefit of the citi- 
zens of its town. Five of the lectures have been 
given, and three more are to follow at intervals of 
three weeks. The last was given by Prof. Jos. F. 
James of Cincinnati, upon ‘ Flowers and insects.’ 
— The museum of comparative zodlogy has pub- 
lished another of its useful ‘selections from embry- 
ological monographs,’ intended to bring together 
illustrations from the most authentic sources of the 
early stages of development of various groups of 
animals. This one is concerned with the Echino- 
dermata, and is compiled by Mr. Alexander Agassiz. 
It consists of fifteen excellently executed quarto 
plates, crowded with figures, and accompanied by 
very simple explanatory text, the bibliography of the 
subject having already appeared in an octavo form. 
The protozoa, acalephs, polyps, fishes, and reptiles 
are announced as in course of preparation. 
— Allstudents interested in the study of the brachi- 
opods will be pleased to learn that the last parts of 
the series of superb monographs of Thomas Davidson, 
on British fossil Brachiopoda, are completed by the 
author, and are now in the printer’s hands. In a 
letter received by a correspondent a few days since, 
from Mr. Davidson, he says that ‘‘ after thirty-three 
years of hard labor, in connection with British recent 
and fossil species, I this year complete my large work; 
and, indeed, the whole remaining manuscript is in the 
printer’s hands, and being printed. This last part 
includes, 1, an appendix to the supplements, with 
plates; 2, an elaborate general summary, with nu- 
merous illustrations of the progress of science in 
connection with the Brachiopoda from 1606 up to the 
end of 1883; 3, a catalogue of all the British species 
SCIENCE. 
’ 
[Vou. l1L, No. 58. 
of the class, some eight hundred and sixty in num- 
ber, with geologic distribution in time, and full refer- 
ences; 4, a brachiopod bibliography, which I have 
been compiling during the last forty years. I have 
some four thousand entries; and it will, I feel sure, 
prove to be very useful for references. I began it at 
1606, and continued it up to the end of 1883.”” Of the 
value and character of this great work, this is not the 
place to speak; but we cannot refrain from express- 
ing feelings of gratitude, respect, and honor to the 
man who has given his time and means to prepare 
for publication a work that reflects so much credit on 
modern science, especially the division of invertebrate 
paleontology. Mr. Davidson is now in the sixty- 
seventh year of his age; and we trust that many 
useful years still remain to him, in which he may 
contribute information from his studies upon the 
Brachiopoda of other countries than Great Britain. 
— According to the San Diego papers, a large stone 
lance-head of Eskimo fashion was found deeply em- 
bedded in the tissues of a whale taken at the whal- 
ing-station on Ballast Point, near the harbor. The 
species is not named, but the creature was probably 
Megaptera versabilis. The migrations of the Cali- 
fornia gray whale, Rhachianectes glaucus, are well 
known, though it is not hunted by the Eskimo; but 
those of the other species have been less clearly 
made out, and facts of this sort are worth putting 
on record. 
— Charles Ashford continues his investigations of 
the Spicula amoris in British Helicidae. He ex- 
amined Zonites excavatus and Z. nitidus. Until re- 
cently the latter was supposed to be the sole member 
of its genus which possessed a dart: now the former 
keeps it company. The arrangement of the secret- 
ing-organs is remarkably like that of Zonités inter- 
textus and suppressus, as figured by Leidy. The 
dart is found in a very small percentage of the total 
number of adults examined. On the other hand, in 
Helix virgata ninety-five per cent of the adults ex- 
amined have furnished darts. 
—Dr. Benjamin Sharp, the professor of inverte- 
brate zodlogy in the Academy of natural sciences of 
PhiJadelphia, will be inaugurated on Tuesday even- 
ing, March 18, on which occasion he will deliver a 
lecture on ‘Methods of biological investigation in 
Europe.’ Professor Sharp’s course on biology will 
begin on Thursday, March 20, at 4.15 p.m. 
— Dr. D. G. Brinton, the newly elected professor 
of ethnology and archeology, will deliver a course of 
lectures in April, introductory to an extended and 
thorough course to begin next autumn. The sub- 
jects of the spring series are as follows : ‘ Prehistoric 
man in the new world,’ ‘ Origin of the Aryan races,’ 
‘The study of ethnology in the United States,’ and 
‘The civilized races of America.’ 
— Two of the naval ensigns pursuing a scientific 
course at the National museum, Mr. Harlow and Mr. 
Dresel, have been ordered to the Greely relief expe- 
dition. 
