CENOZOIC (marine): NOTE. 279 
constitute one comprehensive group, for which the name Kaino- 
zoic, Cenozoic, or' Tertiary may be retained, and which may be 
considered to be in a broad way the equivalent in rank of the 
Mesozoic or Secondary group. 
It remains now to consider in how far this Cenozoic or Ter- 
tiary Group is itself divisible, and if any of the divisions are en- 
titled to the rank of a major position or System. 
Geologists have very generally considered the terms "Eocene/ 
" Miocene," and " Pliocene " to be, from a classlficatory point of 
view, about equivalents of Cretaceous, Jurassic, or Devonian ; 
equal system values are given to these formations, which are then 
followed by a more or less anomalous placing of Post-Pliocene, 
Glacial, Quaternary, and Recent. A more judicious arrange- 
ment, and one more in conformity with the classification of the 
Paleozoic deposits, would, it appears to me, be the subdivisions 
of the entire Post-Cretaceous deposits into three distinct series, 
which may be conveniently termed, beginning with the oldest, 
the Paleogene (or Eogene), Metagene, and Neogene, — the^rs^ to 
include the Eocene and Oligocene of geologist^; the second, the 
Miocene, and the third, the Pliocene, Plistocene (Glacial, Quater- 
nary, auct.), and Recent. The relation would stand thus : 
- 
Recent. 
Cenozoic 
Neogene, . . 
. J Plistocene (Quaternary, Glacial) 
I Pliocene. 
or 
Tertiary, 
Metagene, . . 
Paleogene 
(or Eogene), * 
■ Miocene. 
f Oligocene. 
[ Eocene. 
The three divisions of the Tertiary h6re recommended are, it 
appears to me, entitled to the rank of Systems, since the important 
series which they embrace are faunally as distinct from one 
another as are the several series of the more ancient systems. 
This is certainly the case with the older Tertiary (Paleogene; Oli- 
gocene — Eocene) ; and hardly less so with the medial Tertiary 
(Metagene) as distinguished from the newer (Neogene). The 
upper limits of the Metagene (Miocene) can scarcely be con- 
sidered to be satisfactorily determined; but there can be no doubt 
that the original Lyellian limitation is no longer serviceable. 
In ray opinion the range ought to be broadened so as to very 
