IGO 
THE GEOLOGIST. 
Geologia e Paleontologia del Bolof/nese ; Cenno Sf.orico del 
Prof. G. Capeliini. 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 Ital}^ and many of 
its choicest specimens were described by Ambrosini in his ' Museum Me- 
tallicum.' Here under the name of Argyroconchus 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 Lcgati in a part of his work (1677) de- 
nied that the Glosso-petro had formed part of an animal, but elsewhere ad- 
mitted its resemblance to the tooth of the shark. The labours of Gliedini, 
Beccari, and Monti are alluded to by Prof. Capeliini, as well as the re- 
searches of Dr. Falconer, who has sho«n the distinction between the 
rhinoceros of Monte Biancano {R. leptorJiinus, Cuv. part) and the species 
from Val d'Arno described as the R. Etriiscm 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. CapeUini are 
valuable and accurate contributions to this science. 
Balenottera Fossile nelle Argile Plioceniche di S. Lorenzo in Collina 
{Provincia di Bologna). Nota del Prof. G. Capellini. 8vo. Bologna. 
1862. 
This little pamphlet details the progress of a journey made, and brief 
notices of the fossils collected by Professor G. Capeliini, 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 frorh 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 discover3'-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 Eleplias an- 
tiquus, derived from Crovara, and whicli 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 see that Professor Capellini is endeavouring to remove 
the stigma which has been cast upon Italian geologists, of not paying due 
attention to the i)roductions of their own country. 
