SCIENTIFIC SUMMARY. 
431 
GEOLOGY AND PALEONTOLOGY. 
The Coal of Upper Burmah. — “This mineral.’’ says Captain G. A. Strover, 
-who has an important paper in the “ Geological Magazine ” for August, “ is 
known to exist at Thingadaw, about seventy miles above Mandalay, on the 
western bank of the Irrawaddy j at Shuaygoo, below Bhamo ,• at Meimba- 
loung, in the Shan States east of Mandalay ; to the south-west of Mandalay, 
in the Yaw district, at Y'aignaw, east of Nat-taik. It is found at Pagan 
and Shimpagah, and it is probable that it exists near Meuhla and Yey- 
nangyoung. At Thingadaw the coal has been extracted, but it is of an 
inferior description, and more resembles lignite than true mineral coal. An 
attempt was lately made here to ascertain the productiveness of the coal- 
beds. It is nearly certain that plenty of coal exists in the locality, and a 
few more borings would probably prove this. The coal-bed in the Shan 
States at Meimbaloung contains true mineral coal, and consequently a 
valuable coal. It has been inspected by an experienced mining engineer, 
and highly approved of as equal to the best English coal. There is little 
doubt that the beds are extensive, but unfortunately the distance inland is 
great, and no easy means are available for transporting the coal to the low 
lands ] indeed, the only method at present is by floating it down moun- 
tain streams and rapids on rafts, which entail considerable risk and loss of 
coal. European skill and enterprise would soon make a safe route of one 
description or another if really required by the Government. It remains at 
present, with neighbouring wealth, where nature placed it, awaiting develop- 
ment in times to come.” 
Geological Map of the United States. — This map, which is on a small 
scale {36 by 24 inches), presents us nevertheless with a fair notion of the 
geological features of this vast and well-favoured country. To the geologist, 
as to the public at large, the most important area to be noticed at this time 
is that occupied by the Carboniferous system ; and if arguments were 
needed to favour the old-established belief that the general movement of 
peoples is in a westerly direction, and that the country of the future is 
North America, let our American cousins point with perfect confidence to 
their almost inexhaustible coal-fields, which are, practically speaking, 
unworked, so great hitherto has been the supply of surface-fuel in the 
clearing of boundless forests, now changing into broad fields of corn and 
pastures for vast herds of cattle. The older rocks, named Eozoic by the 
authors, comprise all the formations earlier than the Paradoxides-heds, 
including the oldest known metamorphic Appalachian schists. We hope to 
see larger maps issued in future. Why, it is not so large as our own excel- 
lent pocket map of England and Wales by Professor Ramsay. 
Skull of a Dentigerous Bird from the Isle of Sheppey. — This has been 
described at the last meeting of the Geological Society by Professor Owen. 
The bird is Odontopteryx toliapicus. The specimen described by the author 
consisted of the brain-case, with the basal portion of both jaws. The 
author described in detail the structure and relations of the various bones 
composing this skull, which is rendered especially remarkable by the denti- 
culation of the alveolar margins of the jaws, to which its generic appellation 
