60 
THE GEOLOGIST. 
rator). Trois autres proboscidiens ont vecu dans FAmerique du nord 
pendant la periode post-pliocene ou quaternaire ; ce sont \ Elejphas Ame- 
ricanus, que M. Leidy considere comme etant distinct de V E. jprimi genius, 
VE. Columbi, Falc, des Etats du Sud et du Mexique, et le Mastodon 
Ohioticiis, que quelques auteurs supposent avoir ete contemporain des 
premiers bommes qui se sont etablis dans cette region du globe." Whilst, 
however, I decline to offer any opinion whether the tooth figured by Meek 
may be referable to the E. imperator of Leid}^ from iS^iobrara, I copy 
Dana's woodcut in the margin. 
I have previously and frequently expressed the utmost deference to the 
palaeontological authority of Dr. Falconer, whose constant study of the fossil 
specimens, thorough knowledge of the habits and food of the existing In- 
dian elephant, and exhaustive acquaintance with proboscidean bibliogra- 
phy, must command respect amongst comparative anatomists. The fore- 
going remarks have, however, been called for to re-assert my title to be the 
first who directed attention to the " Bollaert molar," and to claim the un- 
doubted privilege of every scientific man to describe any species of which 
no full, complete, and accurate definition has been previously promulgated. 
DIEECTOR OF THE GEOLOGICAL SUEVEY OF THE BEITISH WEST INDIES. 
The last West India mail brought letters and papers announcing the 
premature loss of this amiable and accomplished naturalist, so lately 
among us taking an active part in the proceedings of the British Associa- 
tion at Cambridge. 
He left England on the 17th of October last, and returned to Jamaica, 
accompanied by Mr. W. P. Colchester, eldest son of the gentleman who has 
for some years been the contractor for all the fossil phosphates of the 
Crag district and Cambridgeshire. He had formerly made a few very 
promising dredgings on the coast, at considerable depths ; and being 
anxious to explore those portions of the sea-bed (between low-water and 
the limit of coral — perhaps about 15 fathoms) which are inaccessible to 
the dredge, he took out with him a diver's dress and pumping apparatus 
of the most approved construction, such as Mr. Heinke has supplied to all 
the stations of the Peninsular and Oriental Company, and which has been 
so successfully employed in recovering the wrecks of the ' Malabar,' 
' Colombo,' and ' Eoyal Charter.' Dr. Bowerbank, of Kingston, writes 
word that he met Mr. Barrett on the 18th December last, in the House of 
Assembly, where he had gone to give evidence before a committee. He 
then told Dr. B. that he had been down the day before (in his diving-dress) 
in shallow water, and had succeeded well, and intended trying deeper 
water for the purpose of examining the coral reefs. Dr. Bowerbank 
begged him to wait till he could go with him ; but he replied that " he 
would see." Other friends also warned him not to go, and offered to 
accompany him if he would defer it for a day ; but he went, attended only 
by the boat's crew of negroes and his (negro) servants. Mr. Colchester 
happened to be away at the time, at the Pedro Ke3's. He says that 
*' according to the evidence given by the men, Mr. Barrett went direct 
Yours trul 
©ittuarg Kotice< 
LUCAS BAEEETT, F.O.S., 
