Scientific Serials

Abstract

THE Geological Magazine for June (No. 96) opens with an interesting article by Mr. Dyer on some fossil wood from the Lower Eocene of Heme Bay and the Isle of Thanet, in which the author describes and figures the microscopic structure of the wood of a Dicotyledonous tree, showing the peculiar phenomenon known under the name of “tylose.”—Mr. G. Poulett Scrope communicates some notes on the late eruption of Vesuvius.—From Mr. T. McKenny Hughes we have a note entitled “Man in the Crag,” in which the writer discusses the interpretation to be given to certain crag sharks' teeth with holes bored in their substance, and sometimes through them from side to side, which have been supposed to be the work of human hands. Mr. Hughes is of opinion that there is no evidence to support this opinion, and that the cavities in question have been produced by boring mollusca.—Mr. A. R. C. Selwyn, Director of the Canadian Geological Survey, notices the occurrence of some fine fossil footprints in a stratum of dark shale belonging to the Carboniferous series of Nova Scotia, and these footprints are described and figured by Principal Dawson. The latter writer states that the principal footprints are of two kinds—a large one resembling the form described by him as Sauropus sydnensis, but having a strong claw on the fifth toe of the hind foot, which has left its mark strongly impressed upon the slab containing the prints, and a smaller impression, sometimes trifid, but occasionally snowing the marks of four or five toes. The former (which he names Sauropus unguifer) he thinks may have been made by Baphetes planiceps; the latter perhaps by a species of Dendrerpeton.—Mr. James Geikie concludes his valuable series of papers on changes of climate during the Glacial epoch, and gives an important tabular view of the Quaternary deposits of the British Islands, with their equivalents in some other countries. Mr. G. H. Kinahan notices the supposed middle gravels of the drift of Ireland, The Rev. O. Fisher describes the occurrence of a worked flint in the brick-earth of Crayford. The Rev. T. G. Bonney has a paper on supposed Ice scratches in Derbyshire, which he regards as slickensides; and Prof. Traquair furnishes a supplementary note on Phaneropleuron and Uronemus.—Among the notices we may mention an account of the human skeleton lately discovered in a cavern at Mentone.