32 Reviews — Prof Ferd. Roemer’s Lethcea Paleeozoica. 
The stratigraphical divisions in which the fossils represented are 
grouped are purposely the largest that could with propriety be 
adopted. They are as follows : 1. Cambrian (pl. i., ii.). 2. Lower 
Silurian (pl. iii.-viii.). 3. Upper Silurian (pl. ix.-xix.). 4. Lower 
Devonian [Old Eed Sandstone] (pl. xx.-xxii.). 4a. The same 
[Coblenz Grauwacke] (pl. xxiii.-xxv.). 5. Middle Devonian 
[Eider-Kalk] (pl. xxvi.-xxxi.). 5a. The same [Paffratber-Kalk] 
(pl. xxii.). 6. Devonian, plants (pl. xxxiii., xxxiv.). 7. Upper 
Devonian [Goniatite beds] (pl. xxxv.). 8. The same [Clymenia 
beds] (pl. xxxvi.). 9. Culm (pl. xxxvii., xxxviii.). 10. Carboni- 
ferous Limestone (pl. xxxix.-xlvi., xlviii.). 11. Coal-Measures 
(pl. xlvii., il.-lv.). 12. Permian (pl. lvi.-lxii.). 
Pre-Cambrian fossils do not find favour in the author’s eyes, and 
such things (perliaps this is the safest term !) as Eozoon and Palceo- 
pyge are not depicted on bis plates, although it is to be boped tbat 
they will not be as utterly ignored in the text. The term “ Proto- 
zoic,” moreover, which Dr. Koemer attacbes to the first plates as 
synonymous witb Cambrian, probably further indicates his views as to 
the geological evidences of the beginnings of life. The succeeding 
horizons are very fully represented by figures of fossils from all 
parts of the world, and of these many will be invaluable from the 
fact tbat they are reproduced from works of very difficult access to 
tlie majority of students, wbile others have been drawn from striking 
specimens expressly for tbis publication. The plates are litho- 
graphed in a bold clear style, quite suitable to the object of the 
“ Letbgea ” ; but tbere is considerable difference discernible in the 
quality of tbeir priuting. Some few — such as pl. 39 for instance — 
being decidedly inferior to the rest in this respect. 
Perhaps the most interesting group of organisms here depicted is 
tbat of the Culm, botb on account of the peculiar geological relations 
of that great Continental series, and because the Breslau Professor of 
Geology is of all otliers, we may say, the one to wbom the unra- 
velling of these relations is chiefly due. It is with much interest that 
we await the explanatory matter to accompany these plates. We 
may note even now, however, as a significant fact, that the Culm is 
here made to come immediately after the Upper Devonian, with this 
observation in brackets, “ Eigenthümliche den Kohlenkalk vertre- 
tende sandig thonige Facies des unteren Kohlengebirges.” 1 The 
Silesian Culm has so often been looked upon as the equivalent of the 
Millstone Grit, orat least of the Upper Limestone Series or Yoredales, 
that the view that it should be reterred to an horizon considerably 
lower in the Carboniferous Series will be new to many, although 
recent researches have a strong tendency in that direction. 
It is a question wliether absolutely unique specimens should find 
a place among a collection of characteristic fossils such as these 
plates profess to represent, yet we doubt whether any one will 
quarrel with the selector when he discovers in plate 38 a copy of 
Goldfuss’s figures of that most curious and astonishiug little animal 
1 A peculiar sandy-clay facies substituting the limestone of the Lower Coal 
formation. 
