60 The Aynerican Geologist. January, i897 
Hinount of water lost. The amounts in each case were determined by 
weighing. It was found that the sand in one case had received 29 per 
cent, of its volume of water, but afterwards parted with only one-third. 
In one case the sand taken from an ancient deposit on the face of "The 
Mesa'" near Santa Fe avenue, in Pueblo, absorbed 29 per cent, of its 
volume of water and delivered only 3 per cent. This illustrates forcibly 
the adhepiou of the water to the sand, which forms an important factor 
in estimating its friction and the rate at which the water may percolate 
through sands either near the surface or in an artesian stratum. 
The paper may be heartily commended as a model of careful, scientific 
investigation and a popular presentation of economic results, such as 
should often be the aim of the governmental expenditure of public 
funds. J. E. T. 
On the Apical End of Endnceras. By Gerhard Holm. (Om apikal- 
andan hos Endoceras; Geol. Foren. i Stockholm Forhandl. vol. 18, pt. 
5, p. 394-426; 1896.) Herein Holm has summarized all that is now 
known of the very rare fossil apical ends of Endoceras shells. The ex- 
cerpt at hand is in Swedish, and is accompanied by six excellent octavo 
plates, besides three figures in the text. 
In review, from the literature on the subject. Holm begins with the 
observations by Barrande* (1870), who described and figured a speci- 
men of Orthoceras niarcoui Barr., and who considered the same as still 
possessing the apical end of the shell. Holm himself in 18851 described 
and figured the structure of the apical portion of the shell as well as the 
development of it in Endoceras belevinitifornie Holm, and pointed out 
the difference between this one and the much smaller septate apex of 
E.bo^ichardiJyew. Remele (1885)J mentioned two Orthoceras shells 
with bent initial part. Foord§ in 1888 showed that the Orthoceras niar- 
coui described by Barrande consists only of the apical portion of the 
siphon itself. In 1889 Rudingerj mentioned a specimen of Endoceras 
which has the apical end bent towards the siphonal side. Hyattlj (1889), 
after citing Holm's description of E. beleninitifor)ne, pointed out fur 
ther the relation of the diminution in size of the siphon to the septa. 
Again in 1892 Holm** presented his observations on three species of En- 
doceras with preserved apical portion, one of which is like E. beleniuiti- 
forme Holm, except that the initial portion or apical cone of the siphon 
attained less size. The other two have the apex of the shell septate, 
but the siphon is swelled and later constricted before assuming its nor- 
mal size. Both of the same are characterized by the curving of the 
apical end Cyi^toceras-Vike, toward the siphonal side. 
Clarkett (1894), without knowing of Holm's description of Endoceras 
belemniti forme, described the apical end of a very nearly related new 
*Syst. Sil., Cephalop., pi. 431, fig. 11-13; text pnrtS, p. 748. 
rPalieont. Abhandl. vol. 3, pt. i, p. 4, pi. 1, fig. 1-5. 
|;No. 113 in " Katalog der von Hrof. Dr. Ad. Remel6 boim international Geologeu- 
Oongress zu Berlin im 18S.5 ansgestellten Geschiebesammlung." 
§Cat. Foss. Cephal., part I, p. 132. 
liArch. Ver. Freund. Nat. Meckleinb., Jahr, 1891. 
TTGenesis of the Arietidae, p. 13. 
**Geol. FOren. FOrh., vol. 14, p. 71-72. 
t+AMER. Geol., vol. 14, Oct., 1894, p. 20,5, pi. 6. 
