SCIENTIFIC SUMMARY. 
317 
that country, although of much interest, all pertained to comparatively 
small species, and belonged, apparently, to families still existing. It is for- 
tunate, therefore, that the existence of a fossil bird, so large and remarkable 
as the one ( Hesperornis regalis ) that forms the subject of the present de- 
scription, should first be made known by the discovery of such important 
parts of a skeleton as to afford ample material for the determination of its 
affinities. This interesting discovery has already been announced in “ Silli- 
man’s Journal,” and the name, Hesperornis regalis, proposed by the writer 
for the species thus represented. The present paper is preliminary to a full 
description, with illustrations, now in course of preparation. The other 
species briefly described in this article are likewise of interest, as they add 
some new forms to the limited avian fauna heretofore found in the creta- 
ceous beds of the Atlantic coast. 
Changes of Climate daring the Glacial Period. — We observe that Mr. 
Geikie has communicated his seventh and last paper on this subject to the 
li Geological Magazine ” for June. The series are of very great importance, 
though of course it is utterly impossible for us to give an abstract of the 
several papers it includes. However, for our readers’ convenience of refer- 
ence, we give the following, which is the order of appearance of the earlier 
portions of Mr. Geikie’s paper u On Changes of Climate during the Glacial 
Epoch.” 
First Paper : 
Second „ 
Third „ 
Fourth „ 
Fifth „ 
Sixth „ 
Seventh „ 
11 Geol. Mag.” vol. 
» V V 
V )) )) 
r> » r> 
» )■> 
v v n 
v v » 
dii. Dec. 1^71, p. 545. 
ix. Jan. 1872, p. 23. 
„ Feb. „ p. 61. 
„ March „ p. 105. 
„ April „ p. 164. 
„ May „ p. 215. 
„ June „ p. 254. 
The last Eruption of Vesuvius. — We merely record the fact here that there 
has been a severe eruption since our last issue. Mr. G. Poulett Scrope has 
given an account of the eruption in the “ Geological Magazine ” for June. 
However, until Professor Palmieri gives us his version of the tale, no other 
can have any very great value. It is not a little amusing to note, as is done 
by Mr. Scrope, F.R.S., how the peasantry have considered the Professor’s 
bravery : — “ Signor Palmieri, who watched throughout with creditable con- 
stancy the progress of the eruption, from his observatory on the Crocelle, 
appears by so doing to have gained a character for almost superhuman 
heroism among the frightened population of Naples and its environs. The 
philosopher must have been much amused at the fervour of his extravagant 
admirers, who raised him almost to the level of their adored St. Januarius ; 
knowing as he well did, of course, the very small amount of danger that he 
incurred while he remained at his post, under a substantial roof, above the 
possible reach of any lava-stream, in a building founded on a portion of old 
Somma, which has certainly never been seriously disturbed for the last 
1,800 years. He, better than any one, knows that the phenomena of the 
late eruption were by no means so exceptional as our newspaper corre- 
spondents would persuade us, but of the ordinary type of moderate Yesuvian 
paroxysms, such as the mountain has exhibited perhaps a dozen times within 
