Conodonts display higher specific gravity (2.84-3.10) than common minerals in sedimentary rocks. For several decades this property has been exploited to separate these microfossils from sediment residues using density separation techniques. Two heavy liquids commonly used, bromoform and tetra-bromoethane, are toxic (Sax, 1979; HaufTand Airey, 1980) and constitute a danger to human health. Tetrabromoethane is a known carcinogen (Brem et al., 1974). Both of these liquids should be abandoned in favor of nontoxic sodium polytungstate (Callahan, 1987; Merrill, 1987b; Krukowski, 1988). There are, however, some technical problems with its use because of relatively high viscosity and a tendency to recrystallize during separation. Another big disadvantage is also its price at $100 per kilogram. These problems may be considerably overcome by using polytungstate in the way described by Savage (1988).

The collections of A. E. Reuss were missing for a long period of time. When they were rediscovered they were stored in the Museum of Natural History in Vienna. The associated catalog is still missing. Since many of the Cretaceous foraminifers described by Reuss are assumed to be widespread around the world, it is desirable to have his original material as a reference when classifying the specimens found in drillings and natural exposures. As quite a lot of them are usable as index fossils, they are of special value in the exploration for oil and gas.

Upper Ordovician flysch of the Matapédia Group of New Brunswick, eastern Canada, contains many examples of burrows that possess an upper meniscate portion and a fecal pellet-packed lower portion. A new ichnogenus, Compaginatichnus, is proposed for these burrows and its type ichnospecies, C. forbesi, is described in detail.

Notoschizaea was described by Graham in 1934 but has not been generally used since then and has been a problem for evaluation of coenopterid fern diversity. The monotypic genus Notoschizaea is placed in synonymy with Corynepteris Baily, and N. robusta Graham is redescribed as C. robusta (Graham) Mickle comb. nov. The original specimens are reillustrated and reinterpreted in light of more recent discoveries of permineralized Corynepteris species. Spores within sporangia are identified as being of the Apiculatisporis Potonie and Kremp type.

Quick setting dental impression materials are nothing new in the paleontology laboratory. In a paleontological note published in the Journal of Paleontology on “The Use of Dental Impression Material For Molding Macrofossils” (Quilty & Williams, 1975), the products Xantopren and Optosil were introduced as a simple and fast method of obtaining precision molds in 1-3 minutes. Since the mid-1970's these products have been replaced by vinyl polysiloxanes.

The nomenclatorial history of the ichnogenera Lockeia and Pelecypodichnus has been confused by duality during the past 20 years. Many authors presume Pelecypodichnus is correct because Lockeia is a nomen oblitum. This presumption is rejected on both objective and subjective grounds. First, Lockeia is not a nomen oblitum. Two major gaps in the citational history of Lockeia exist, the first one of 35 years duration and the second of 43 years duration. Thus, no 50-year gap exists in the valid use of the name Lockeia. Second, the Committee on Zoological Nomenclature was not petitioned to declare Lockeia a nomen oblitum during the period of time that the nomen oblitum concept was in effect. Third, the name Pelecypodichnus implies a specific trace-maker for the trace—a practice we, and others, judge should be avoided. Fourth, topotype specimens and the lectotype of Lockeia are available for study. Fifth, even many of those authors who use Pelecypodichnus instead of Lockeia commonly note the existence of Lockeia as a synonymous generic name. Thus, use of Lockeia by numerous authors in the past 20 years results in no confusion or destabilization of the generic-level taxonomy. Lockeia, the senior synonym of Pelecypodichnus, has been used by numerous authors, is well understood, and therefore should be used instead of Pelecypodichnus.

A newly discovered locality of aestivation burrow casts containing the lungfish, Gnathorhiza serrata, is reported from the early Permian Arroyo Formation of Wilbarger County, north-central Texas. Remains preserved in the burrow casts provide sections of mummified Gnathorhiza and new information about the postcranial skeleton of this fish. Scales of Gnathorhiza resemble those of the modern lungfishes such as Lepidosiren in their microanatomy. No traces of paddle-like pectoral or pelvic fins were found and paired fins of Gnathorhiza may have resembled those of Lepidosiren. The axial skeleton and median fins of Gnathorhiza seem to resemble those of Lepidosiren except that the tail area and caudal fin of Gnathorhiza were stout and strong rather than slender and tapering. Gnathorhiza, which aestivated tail-down in its burrow, may have required a stout tail for support.

New specimens of Shastasaurus altispinus Merriam are recognized from the Upper Triassic Antimonio Formation in the El Antimonio district of northwestern Sonora, Mexico. This represents the first occurrence of the species outside of its type locality in Shasta County, California, and the first known occurrence of Triassic ichthyosaurs from Mexico. Some remains are well preserved, but in general they are fragmented, structurally distorted, and incomplete; however, they enhance the current understanding of the morphology of a species that has been known hitherto only from an even more incomplete holotype. The material is the first from any Shastasaurus that preserves the anterior portions of the skull and lower jaw and implanted teeth. Revised diagnoses for the genus and species are given on the basis of the new material. Biostratigraphic zonation furnishes an early Late Carnian age for the specimens, which is in accord with that for the holotype.

In a letter dated April 29, 1988, Helen and Alfred R. Loeblich, Jr. kindly brought to my attention the fact that the newly proposed generic name Cribrella Gawor-Biedowa, 1987, is preoccupied by Cribrella Agassiz, 1836, by Cribrella Schmidt, 1862, and by Cribrella Cossman, 1906, hence requires a new name. Cribrella Gawor-Biedowa, 1987, type species Cribrella lacrima Gawor-Biedowa, 1987, thus is renamed here as Cribrebella Gawor-Biedowa, nom. nov.

Fossil bird bones from the late Eocene Keasey Formation and the latest Eocene Pittsburg Bluff Formation in northwestern Oregon are the earliest records of the pelecaniform family Pelagornithidae for the Pacific Basin. These fossils also represent the first late Eocene records of the family from the Northern Hemisphere, the second late Eocene record worldwide, and indicate that these animals were among the largest of flying birds. Unfortunately, the fragmentary condition of these fossils and the currently confused state of pelagornithid systematics prevents the assignment of these specimens to new species at this time.

The name Echinolampas duncani McNamara, 1987 (McNamara, 1987, p. 109-110, fig. 1A-C) was given to a Miocene cassiduloid echinoid species from Australia. J. Roman (Institut de Paléontologie, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France) has kindly alerted me to the fact that this name is already occupied by Echinolampas duncani Cotteau, 1891 (Cotteau, 1891, p. 162). Cotteau proposed this name as a replacement for Echinolampas obesa Duncan and Sladen, 1884, which was a junior homonym of Echinolampas obesus Bittner, 1880. The recently described Australian species is therefore a junior homonym of Echinolampas duncani Cotteau, 1891. Consequently a new name, Echinolampas laubei, is proposed as a replacement for Echinolampas duncani McNamara, 1987. It is named after G. C. Laube, in honor of his pioneering work on the Miocene echinoid faunas of Australia.