IGO 



THE GEOLOGIST. 



Geologia e Paleontologia del Polognese ; Cenno Storico del 

 Prof. G-. Capellini. 8vo. Bologna. 1863. 



This is a history of the progress of geology and palaeontology in the 

 neighbourhood of Bologna from 1648 to 1810. The Aldrovandine Museum 

 first gave an impetus to the study of palaeontology in Italy, and many of 

 its choicest specimens were described by Ambrosini in his ' Museum Me- 

 tallicum.' Here under the name of Argyroeonchus was for the first time 

 figured a fossil shell frequent in all the Bolognese hills, which Scheuchzer 

 in a later period termed Concha polygynglima, Lamarck Perna maxillata, 

 Deshayes Perna Soldani. Lorenzo Legati in a part of his work (1677) de- 

 nied that the Grlosso-petro had formed part of an animal, but elsewhere ad- 

 mitted its resemblance to the tooth of the shark. The labours of Ghedini, 

 Beccari, and Monti are alluded to by Prof. Capellini, as well as the re- 

 searches of Dr. Falconer, who has shown the distinction between the 

 rhinoceros of Monte Biancano (B. leptorhinus, Cuv. part) and the species 

 from Val d'Arno described as the P. JEtruscus of Falconer. 



The memoir is of a most interesting nature, and although the present 

 political condition of Italy is such as to inspire but little hope for scien- 

 tific progress there, the above-mentioned works by Prof. Capellini are 

 valuable and accurate contributions to this science. 



Balenottera Fossile nelle Argile PliocenicJie di S. Lorenzo in Collina 

 (Provincia di Bologna). jNota del Prof. Gr. Capellini. 8vo. Bologna. 

 1862. 



This little pamphlet details the progress of a journey made, and brief 

 notices of the fossils collected by Professor Gr. Capellini, Drs. Foresti and 

 Nicolai, in the neighbourhood of Bologna. The most striking fossil which 

 was obtained was referable to the genus Porqualus, of which a portion of 

 mandible, being about a metre and a half in length, was at first discovered, 

 and led to the identification of the species. Afterwards the skull, the 

 maxillary bone, and one of the mandibles, doubtful evidence of a paddle, 

 and portions of vertebrae and ribs, were found. Deductions from these 

 evidences lead Professor Capellini to the inference that the whale to which 

 it belonged measured at least 68 feet in length. He speculates on the 

 future discovery of the remains of dolphins, rhinoceroses, elephants, and other 

 mammalia that inhabited the same region during the Pliocene epoch. In a 

 note he reminds palaeontologists that besides remains of rhinoceroses which 

 exist in the museum at Bologna, there is also a fine molar of El&phas an- 

 tiquus, derived from Crovara, and which forms part of the fossils collected 

 by Professor Alessandrini. A few fragments, referable to the same species, 

 from the same locality were discovered in a shop, where a piece of a broken 

 mandible had also been preserved in a bad state. 



We are glad to sec that Professor Capellini is endeavouring to remove 

 the stigma which has been cast upon Italian geologists, of not paying due 

 attention to the productions of their own country. 



