TUE GEOLOGIST. 
organism, of the grade of structure of a germ-cell, may not arise by a 
collocation of particles through the operation of a force analogous to 
that which originally formed the germ-cell in the ovarian stroma, is a 
question worthy all care and pains in its solution. Pouchet has con- 
tributed valuable evidence of such production, under external in- 
fluences, of species of Protozoa. AVith regard to the species of higher 
organisms, distinguishable as plants and animals, their origin is as 
yet only matter of speculation." — Palaeontology, 2nd ed., pp. 18 and 
441. 
In these liberal and advanced sentiments, we must cordially con- 
cur. "We recommend our readers to examine M. Pouchet's work 
carefully, and, if possible, to test his experiments over again. 
English minds too often exhibit an excessive reluctance to truths 
which on the Continent have been generally accepted. Trust- 
ing that this work may receive " a fair field and no favour," we con- 
clude our remarks, with the hope that many more volumes of equal 
scientific importance may proceed from the gifted pen of the Director 
of the Museum of Natural History at Rouen. 
PUETHER NOTES ON THE GENUS CAINOTHERIUM. 
By Chaeles Carter Blake, Esq. 
The genus Cainotlierium was founded by Bravard in the year 1S35. 
Since his time it has received the following names : — Cj/clognatlius, 
Geofiroy St. Hilaire, 1835 ; Microtlierium, Herm. von Meyer, 1837 ; 
Oplotlierium and Plectognathus, Laizet and De Parieu, 1838 ; whilst 
the characteristically synthetic mind of De Blainville reunited it to 
the genus AnopJotlieriujn, under the title of latecurvatum. 
Gervais* says it is probable that many species, and not one only, 
can be recognized amongst the remains which have been discovered, 
and that this conclusion has been admitted by all palaeontologists 
who have studied these small pachyderms. 
Pomelf urges strongly the necessity of distinguishing many spe- 
cies among the Cainotheria, properly so called. He excludes from 
this genus the C. Courtoisii, which he erects into a type apart {Huce- 
gulus). Gervais, on the contrary, gives merely to the genus Caino- 
tlierium a subgeneric value, subordinating it to DicJiohiine in his 
system. M. Pomel does not give any certain characters by which his 
five species can be distinguished. I translate his characters, such as 
they are : — 
* ' Zoologie et Paleonlol. Fraricaise?,' 4to, Paris, 1859, 2nd edition, p. 92. 
+ Comptes Rcndus de rAcademie dcs Sciences, Paris, t. xxxiii. p. 7. 
