284

Duclos's Histoire Naturelle de Coquilles Univalves.

for our palmicornis, but this has never more than from 33 to 35 rays, while his species has from 50 to 51." Mr Yarrell's specimen was procured by Dr Johnston near Berwick.

The Pholis of Fleming is adopted. A new genus is formed from the Blennius rostratus, Solander, a native of the new Guinea seas. It is named from the large developement of the canine teeth, Blennechis (Bévos and sxs,) and several undescribed species are added. Another contains a single species, Bl. Bosquianus, Lacep. In these the character of the gills of Blennechis are combined with a wide gape, but with a single row of regular teeth on the outer part of the jaws only, and has been termed Chasmodes. The other genera admitted are Salarias, remarkable for their moveable teeth, and 33 species are described. Clinus, into which the Bl. argentatus, Risso, the only European species will range. Myxodes, formed from a single species, a native of the N. Holland seas, Cl. Australis, Cuv. differing in having the first rays of the dorsal fin separated and advanced upon occiput in the manner of a crest. Cirrhibarbes, a native of the seas of South Africa. Tripterygion; Tript. nassus, Risso, a native of the Mediterranean, is typical; the dorsal fin is divided into three parts or divisions. Gulnellus, Zoarces, Anarrhichas, of the latter a second species A. leopardus, Agass. is admitted on the authority of a single specimen in the collection of Munich: and Opisthognathus, of which a single species, scarcely perfect, was known to Cuvier, on the publication of the Règne Animal. Another has since been discovered from the coast of South America, and is dedi cated to the Baron.-Opist. Cuvierii, Val.

Histoire Naturelle Generale et Particuliere de tous les Genres de Coquilles Univalves marines à l'etat vivant et fossiles, publie par monographies. Par P. L. DUCLOS. Genre Olive. i. ii. Livraison. Paris, 1835. Folio.

THE two parts published contain eleven plates, on each of which several species of the genus are figured. They are beautifully executed, but, from the expensive style in which the work is brought out, it is to be feared that even the genus now being published will never be finished. The text consists merely of a tabular list of the species to be figured, and an index, occupying in all two leaves. -J. E. G.

Observations on the Genus Unio, together with descriptions of new Genera and Species in the families Naïades, Concha, Columacea, Lymnæana, Melaniana and Peristomiana. By ISAAC Lea. 4to, Philadelphia, 1836.

This work consists of four papers, published at intervals in the

Transactions of the American Philosophical Society. It is occupied principally with descriptions of various species of Uniones, most of them American, with a few from China, and has added greatly to our acquaintance with this large genus. To this are appended observations on the species of Naïades described by Lamarck; and the descriptions of some new species of shells belonging to other freshwater or land families, each species described being illustrated with a characteristic coloured figure.

Mr Lea has charged some of his countrymen with a fault of which he is himself not guiltless-that of capriciously changing the names of several species; and while he has, rightly perhaps, brought together as varieties several of the species described by other authors. he has, in other instances, separated individuals from species on very slight differences. Some of his new species have been previously characterized. Unio necklinianus, for example, was described many years ago by Mr Swainson: U. Murchisonianus and Symphynota magnifica are described and figured in Griffith's Translation of Cuvier's "Règne Animal," Cyrena Javensis is C. Childrena of Wood's Supplement; and C. rotundata is only the adult of the same species. Symphynota bialata is the young state of Dipsas plicata of Dr Leach; Melanopsis princeps appears to be only the young of Pryena ater; the Lymnea imperialis is certainly nothing but the very young state of a Bulimus, probably B. hæmastomus ; and the shell on which Mr Lea has formed his new genus Aphrodite, and which he considers should be placed after the genus Pyrena, is a well known one, figured by Chemnitz and described by Lamarck, under the name of Cardium Grænlandicum. It is not uncommon on the coast of Greenland, and only differs from the other cardia in the small size of its teeth, which are most developed in the younger specimens. Hence Montagu, who considered it a new species, called it Cardium edentula.-J. E. G.

Erpetologie Generale ou Histoire Naturelle complete des Reptiles. Par M. C. DUMERIL and G. BIBRON. Vols. 2, Paris, 8vo. THIS work, which forms one of an excellent series publishing in Paris under the title of "Suites à Buffon," is intended to give a complete history of reptiles. The first volume is principally occupied with a description of these animals and their organization in general, to which is appended a list of works on the same subjects in chronological order. It contains likewise the methodical distribution of the Chelonian reptiles into orders, families and genera; an account of their structure and manners, and a list of the authors who have treated of them in particular. The second volume contains the

descriptions of the species of Chelonian reptiles: the distribution of the Saurians into their families and genera; an essay on their organization and habits; and a similar list of the books which treat of them.

The general observations are written by M. Dumeril; while every thing relative to the description and determination of the species and their synonyms, has been left to M. Bibron, now his assistant in the museum, and formerly the animal preserver of the department.*

It is much to be regretted that M. Bibron, with the characteristic inconsiderateness of a young naturalist, has deemed it necessary to change capriciously many of the established family, generic and specific names; but in so doing he follows many of the modern French authors, who thus affect to give a national character to their works. Thus he has named anew all the families of the Chelonian reptiles; he has changed the name of the genus Chelydra of Schweiger, which Fleming also had called Chelonura, to Emysaura! Trionyx of Geoffroy, which is the same as Aspidonectes of Wagler, must now be called Gymnopsus; and Emyda of Gray becomes the Cryptopus of M. Bibron!

M. Bibron has followed the arrangement of the Chelonians published by Mr Gray in his Synopsis Reptilium. He has given a very extensive list of synonyms, copied in a great measure from the elaborate paper on the synonyms of these animals written by the unfortunate Schweiger and to those is added a very verbose description of the species.-J. E. G.

TRANSACTIONS AND PERIODICALS.-British.

The Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal. Conducted by Professor JAMESON. April to July 1836. Edinburgh. A. & C. Black. (Part 1st of Vol. xxi.) 8vo. (Continued from p. 99.)

I. Zoology.

Dr GRAVES of Dublin, " Observations on the Sense of Touch, including an analysis of Weber's works on that subject," copied from the March number of the Dublin Medical Journal, p. 67.—JOHN GRAHAM DALYELL, Esq. "Farther illustrations of the propagation of Scottish Zoophytes." p. 88. Additions to a communication read before the British Association in 1834, and published in a previous number of the Ed. Phil. Journal. The remarks refer to the propagation of "Actinia, Alcyonum, Sertulariæ, Hydra tuba, Tubularia polyceps, and Cristatellæ."- -Mr JOHN SHAW," An acount of some experiments and observations on the Parr, and on the ova of the Salmon proving the parr to be the young of the Salmon," p. 99. Interesting experiments plainly detailed, but not “ prov

* Discour. Prelim. p. x.

ing" the parr to be the young of the salmon. Whatever, nevertheless, may be the result of their continuation, they will be of importance either as additions to the natural history of the young states of the salmon, or as elucidating the history of the true parr. It is impossible to detail the author's experiments without transcribing the whole paper; suffice it to say, that Mr Shaw considers that the young of the salmon remain in the river two years before migrating to the sea; that they are during this period in the livery of the parr, and are known as such to anglers; that during the April of the second year they commence to perfect their change to the livery of fry, the scales becoming silvery and easily deciduous, and that they begin their migration downwards so soon as this is completed. The experiments do not proceed beyond this period of their growth.. Mr KING'S temperature of quadrupeds, birds, fishes, plants, trees, and earth, as ascertained at different times and places in Arctic America, during Captain Back's expedition, p. 150, a simple table copied from the appendix of Captain Back's last Narrative.

I. Botany.

Dr GRAHAM, "List of new or rare plants which have lately flowered in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, chiefly in the Royal Botanic Garden, p. 154." "Acacia lineata, Cunning.; stipulis subnullis; phyllodiis lineari-spathulatis, subfalcatis, versus marginem superiorem uninervibus, oblique cartilagineo-mucronulatis, ramuloque rotundato pubescentibus; capitulis longe pedunculatis, subgeminis."-" Begonia Fischeri; caulescens, foliis oblongis, acutis, inæqualiter cordatis, dentato serratis, utrinque glabris, nitidis; stipulis ovatis, integerrimis; floribus masculis 4-petalis, petalis exterioribus rotundis, concavis, marginibus plano-revolutis; floribus fœmineis 6-petals, petalis ovato-lanceolatis, alis germi nis inæqualiter rotundatis.”—“ Begonia sanguinea, Radd. in Spreng. Syst. Veget. ii. 625, caule ramoso; foliis inæqualiter cordatis, acuminatis, coriaceo-carnosis, glaberrimis, subtus sanguineis, margine crenulato revoluto; germinis alis tribus æqualibus.”—“ Bletia patula; foliis radicalibus, lanceolatis, plicato-nervosis; scapo elato, subramoso; floribus patentissimis; sepalis lanceolato-ellipticis, basi attenuatis, subæqualibus, patulis; labello cucullato, lobis lateralibus rotundatis, intermedio emarginato transverse plicato, disco lamellis 6, subramosis, inæqualibus."-" Drosera filiformis; introduced to the Edinburgh gardens in 1834, by Mr James Macnab, from plants found by him in a swamp above Tuckerton, New Jersey, U. S. scapis lateralibus, foliis lineari-filiformibus glanduloso-pilosis, dorso glabris canaliculatis, basi lanatis; staminibus5; stylis 8, in paribus coalitis, basi.” · Epacris microphylla; Br. Prodr. Flor. Nov. Holl. calycis foliolis obtusiusculis, tubum corollæ æquantibus; foliis cordatis, acutis, pedunculum superantibus, lateribus erectis; spica apiciflora; ramulis pilosis.' "Fritillaria ruthenica ;

66

Wickstrom? caule subunifloro; foliis lineari-lanceolatis, imis superioribusque subternatis, illis obtusis, his, intermediisque sparsis, cirrhosis; floribus tesselatis cernuis.

The Magazine of Natural History. Conducted by J. C. LOUDON, Vol. ix. Nos. from May to August. (Continued from p. 101.)

I. Zoology.

Wood on the Propriety of altering established Scientific Names in Natural History should they be erroneous, p. 337–342– -WHITE on the Singing of Birds, p. 281-290; and at p. 432, there is a review of this paper by Mr CONWAY. --

WHITE on the length of Life of a species of Parrot; with suggestions for ascertaining the average period of existence of the whole animal creation; and an anecdote on a parrot, p. 347-350. The parrot appears to have died in not less than its 85th year. -BLYTH on the various seasonal and other external changes which regularly take place in birds, more particularly in those which occur in Britain; with remarks on their great importance in indicating the true affinities of species; and upon the Natural System of arrangement, p. 394–409.— -WATERTON on the Habits of the Magpie, p. 225-9; of the Dovecot Pigeon, p. 3436; and of the Stormcock or Mistletoe Thrush, p. 409–13.- -MORRIS On the Habits and personal characteristics of the Crossbill, p. 413–16.- -WATERTON and MORRIS on the office of the gland upon the rump of birds, p. 266–271; 323-26; 434-7. The discussion has been carried on in a flippant and acrimonious manner creditable to neither party, and very unsatisfactory to a naturalist in search of the truth. We need not, however, hesitate, to express our belief that Mr W. will be found to be correct in his opinions.-SALWAY'S notice of the discovery of the Skeletons of Swifts and Starlings in the tower of the church at Oswestry, Shropshire.Hoy on the capture of the Motacilla neglecta at Stoke Nayland, Suffolk. ORD on the Habits of the Black snake.- -WATERTON on the Habits of the Chegoe of Guiana, p. 290–293; to which the editor has judiciously appended a translation of Pohl and Kollar's account of the Pulex penetrans, by Mr SHUCKARD, with some excellent illustrative figures.—JohnSTON on the Acarus Basteri, p. 353; Lamellaria tentaculata, p. 229; Asterias aranciaca, p. 298; Ast. endeca, p. 299; Ophiura Rosula, p. 231; and Gordius aquaticus, p. 355,-TEMPLETON's Catalogue of the Annulose Rayed and Polypous animals found in Ireland, as selected from the papers of the late J. Templeton, Esq. with localities, descriptions, and illustrations, p. 233–240; p. 301– 5; p. 417-421. The Actinia monile of Templeton is the young of Act. senilis; and his Actinia margaritifera is the common Act. mesembryanthemum.

II. Botany.

BABINGTON'S Localities of several species of British plants observed during the summer of 1835, p. 243–246.

Entomological Magazine. London, July 1836. (Continued from

p. 192.)

With this number a fourth volume is commenced, to which we wish success, as it is a publication valuable on many accounts to the entomologist, but particularly so, for the various monographs it contains. It is prefaced by a short introductory address, and the minutes of the Entomological Club, the members of which association, in consequence of the valuable property they have acquired in collections of insects, books, and manuscripts, have found it necessary to frame an institution and code of laws. Among the resolutions we are glad to observe that a special object of the club is to form a model named-cabinet of insects, unquestionably British, and another, that all entomologists consulting the library or Cabinet shall be at perfect liberty to make notes, memoranda, descriptions, or drawings of any insect, or from any book, or manuscripts contained therein. Art. 1. FRANCIS WALKER, Monographia Chalciditum, (continued from Vol. iii. p. 496.)—2d. Wanderings and Ponderings of an Insect-hunter.- -3d. A. H. HALIDAY, M. A. Essay on Parasitic Hymenoptera, (continued from Vol. iii. p. 147.)-4. Observations on certain curious indentations in the old red sand