he explains by suggesting that these embryo-like forms were fully developed animals characteristic of the early geological period at which they existed.

W. S.

5. Letters from Alabama, chiefly relating to Natural History; by PHILIP HENRY GOSSE, F.R.S. London, 1859, pp. 306: small 8vo.Another popular scientific work of this prolific writer. It consists of a series of letters written many years ago, when the author was teaching school in the interior of Alabama. In his usual interesting style, Mr. Gosse describes the habits and points out the beauties of many of our Southern plants, insects, reptiles and birds, with numerous illustrations on wood.

W. S.

6. Sketch of a revision of the genera of Mithracidae; by WM. STIMPSON.-The old genus Mithrax was divided into three groups by MilneEdwards, (Hist. Nat. des Crust., i. 318), Mithrax triangulaires, M. transversaux, and M. déprimés. These groups are now considered of generic value. For the first group De Haan has proposed the name Dione, which cannot however be adopted, as it was previously applied to a genus of Lepidoptera, by Hübner. It is also used for a bivalve shell. To the third group White gave the name Mithraculus, which was adopted by Dana.

In the Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1847, p. 222, Mr. Adam White gives a wood-cut of a maioid crustacean, to which he applies the name Schizophrys, with the following description: "Carapax oval, depressed, somewhat attenuated behind; beak deeply cloven; upper orbit deeply cloven, with a strong tooth in the middle of the cleft; under orbit an elongated appendage on the inside, with two teeth at the end. Tale of male with 7 joints, the sides nearly parallel. Fore-legs shortest. Fingers without teeth." This genus, in the catalogue of the British Museum, is placed between Othonia and Pericera. But if we consider that by the "elongated appendage on the inside" of the orbit, Mr. White probably means the basal joint of the external antennæ, and observe how closely the figure corresponds to young crabs belonging to De Haan's genus Dione, the conclusion is unavoidable that Schizophrys is really synonymous with the Mithrax triangulaires of Milne-Edwards, and as such we here adopt it. In the following synopsis new characters are introduced; some new genera are described, and a list given of the species known up to the present date.

A. Maxillipedis externi merus margine antico integer.

MITHRACULUS, White. (Mithrax, pro parte, De Haan, Fauna Jap. Cr. 82.) Carapax depressus, rostro brevissimo vel nullo.-M. sculptus, (M.Edw.,) M. nodosus, (Bell,) M. denticulatus, (Bell,) M. coronatus, (Herbst.) M. cinctimanus, Stm.

B. Maxillipedis externi merus angulo antero-interno excisus, ad palpum incipiendum.

a. Frons angusta. Orbitæ parvæ, profundæ, oculos pæne operientes, MITHRAX, Leach. Carapax plus minusve transversus. Orbita multifissa, margine dentibus vel tuberculis armata.

1. Antennæ externæ articulus basalis spinis tribus armatus.-M. verrucosus, M.-Edw., M. aculeatus, (Herbst.)

2. Antennæ externæ articulus basalis spinis duabus armatus.-M. spinosissimus, (Lamk.), M. hispidus, (Herbst,) M. ursus, Bell, M. rostratus,

Bell, M. pygmaus, Bell, M. cornutus, De S., M. armatus, De S., M. tuberculatus, Stm.

TELEOPHRYS, nov. gen. Carapax antice triangularis, postice et lateraliter rotundatus, sulco cervicali sat profundo. Orbita margine supero externoque integra, nec dentata.-T. cristulipes, Stm.

b. Frons lata. Oculi majores. Orbitæ grandes, non profundæ, late fissæ, oculos non operientes.

SCHIZOPHRYS, White. (Dione, De Haan.) Carapax ovato-triangularis. Rostrum longum, bifidum, cornibus bidentatis.-S. dichotoma, (Latr.) S. affinis, (De Haan,) S. aspera, (M.-Edw.), S. serrata, White, S. spinigera, White, S. dama, (Herbst.)

CYCLOMAIA, nov. gen. Carapax orbiculatus, antrorsum quam retrorsum vix angustior. Rostrum brevissimum, bifidum, cornibus acutis, non dentatis. Oculi grandes, sat breves. Antennæ externæ articulus basalis trispinosus, spinis superne conspicuis. Maxillipidis externi merus apice interno profunde sinuatus. Pedes mediocres.-C. suborbicularis, Stm.

CYCLAX, Dana. Cyclomaia carapacem affinis. Oculi longi; pedes longi, tenues.-C. Perryi, Dana.

Mithraculus, Mithrax, and Teleophrys are American; Schizophrys, Cyclomaia and Cyclax, old-world types.

7. Archiv für Naturgeschichte, vol. xxiv, for 1858; Berlin, 1859:-contains the following articles of special interest :-Anatomy and development of Copepoda, with 2 plates; Claus.-Deseriptions of new Chilian Vertebrates by Dr. Philippi.-Revision of the Gadidæ, Soleinæ, and Plagusina; Kaup.-(Mr. Kaup considers our Morrhua pruinosa and M. americana as one species and identical with M. vulgaris)-Geographical and historical remarks on certain mammals; Martens.-On the species of Velutina; Martens.-On Annelides of the Brazilian Coast, 2 plates; F. Müller.-Enthelminthica, 2 plates; Wagener.-Anatomy and Histology of some Trematodes; Walter.-New Batrachians, Günther.-On the hard-cheeked Acanthopterygians; Kaup. (The number of genera very much reduced.)-Critical remarks on Castelnau's Siluroids; Kner.

W. S.

8. The Natural History Review and Quarterly Journal of Science, a periodical published at London and Dublin, containing reviews of works relating to Natural History, and also the proceedings of the DUBLIN Scientific Associations, as follows:-the Geological Society, the Natural History Society, the University Zoological and Botanical Association, the Royal Irish Academy, and the Royal Society. In giving a synopsis of the more important zoological papers read before these five Associations, we shall, for the sake of convenience, cite the "Quarterly Journal" instead of their own regular publications:

Vol. v. 1858, contains-p, 134, On new genera and species of Polyzoa, 4 plates; W. Thompson.-p. 148, Cambrian fossils, Histioderma, n. g. (annelide); Kinahan.-p. 168, Steropis, a new genus of Carboniferous Crustacea, allied to Limulus; Baily.-p. 194, On some Oniscoidea, with a plate, Kinahan.-p. 202, New forms of Diastylide (wood-cuts); Bate. -p. 207, On Oldhamia, a Cambrian fossil; Kinahan.-p. 276, Ancient and modern races of Oxen in Ireland, (wood-cuts); Wilde.-Vol. vi., 1859, p. 108, On the urticating organs of Actinia; M'Donnell.-p. 113, Irish

-p. 191, Crimean Fossils; Bailey.-p. 199, New Irish Orthocerata ; Actiniada; Wright.-p. 125, Platyarthrus, Brandt, and allied genera; Kinahan.-p. 152, Anatomy of the brain in some small Quadrupeds, 2 plates; Garner.-p. 161, Subterranean Gammarida; Bate and Hogan. Haughton.-p. 237, Morphology of the Hydrozoa, with reference to the constitution of the sub-kingdom Coelenterata; Greene. (Mr. Greene includes the Lucernarida with Hydrozoa, and considers the Medusidæ― "Animal consisting of a polype suspended from the under surface of a natatorial organ"—an order distinct from the Hydridæ and Tubularidæ !) 9. An essay on Classification, by Louis AGASSIZ.-This work, forming the introduction to Prof. Agassiz' Contributions to the Natural History of the United States, has been published in a separate form, a convenient octavo, by the Longmans and Trübner & Co., London.

10. On the genus Synapta; by WOODWARD and BARRETT, (Proc. Zool. Soc. of London, xxvi, 360. Plate XIV).-A short historical and anatomical account of the interesting family of Holothurians in whose skin are found the miniature anchors and wheels, which form such elegant objects for the microscope. They give detailed descriptions of Synapta digitata and S. inhærens, and add one new species, S. bidentata, from China. They also give what purports to be a list of the known species of the family, to which, however, the following should be added:-Synapta oceanica Less., S. doreyana Quoy and Gaimard, S. punctulata Q. & G., S. bachei Pourt., S. tennis Ayres, S. pellucida Ayres, S. dolabrifera Stm., Chirodota fusca Q. & G., C. rubeola Q. & G., C. tenuis, Q. & G., C. rufescens Brandt, C. rotifera Pourt., C. pallida Ayres, C. australiana Stm., C. (Myriotrochus) brevis Huxley.

W. S.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE ELLIOTT SOCIETY OF NATURAL HISTORY OF CHARLESTON, S. C.Vol. I. 1856. p. 50, On Cicadæ ; J. Lee-New and rare_Phænogamous Plants found in the State of South Carolina; H. W. Ravenel.-p. 55, Description of Oceania (Turritopsis) nutricula, nov. sp., and the embryology of a Medusan Larva found in its bell; with four plates; J. McCrady.-1857, p. 91, On the past and present condition of Niagara Falls; L. R. Gibbes.-p. 101, Notice of an ore of Argentiferous Galena; Frampton.--p. 102, On the fruit of Yucca gloriosa; L. R. Gibbes.—p. 103, Gymnophthalmata of Charleston Harbor, with five plates, (noticed in this Volume, p. 130); J. McCrady.—p. 222, On Specific Form; J. McCrady.—p. 223, On a Bolina found in Charleston Harbor; J. McCrady.-p. 225, Description of Ranilia muricata, M. Edw., with a plate; L. R. Gibbes-p. 229, On the zoological affinities of Graptolites (noticed in this volume, p. 131); J. McCrady-p. 237, Gigantic Orthoceras from Minnesota; L. A. Frampton.-p. 238, On a Cactus from Eding's Bay, S. C.; L. R. Gibbes-p. 239, Medusæ of Port Royal Harbor, S. C.; J. McCrady. p. 241, Botany of Eding's Bay; L. R. Gibbes.-p. 251, Preparation of Metallic Cobalt; W. Sharswood-p. 254, Development of two species of Ctenophora found in Charleston Harbor, with a plate; J. McCrady.-1858, p. 272, Cacti of S. Carolina; L. R. Gibbes-p. 275, Instance of incomplete longitudinal fission in Actinia cavernosa ; J. McCrady. p. 278, A new locality for Rutile; W. Sharswood-p. 280, Three new Univalves; E. Ravenel.-p. 282. New genus of fossil Echini, Ravenelia, allied to Pygorynchus; J. McCrady.-p. 287, Antidote for Arsenious Acid; W. Sharswood.— p. 288, Phenomena of the Earthquake of Dec. 19, 1857; L. R. Gibbes.-p. 291, On a convenient form of Aspirator; L. R. Gibbes,

PROCEEDINGS BOSTON SOC. NAT. HIST., 1859.-p. 49, On the priority of discovery of the fossil footmarks of the Connecticut Valley; T. T. Bouvé.-p. 54, Trilobite from Newfoundland; C. T. Jackson.-p. 58, Japanese plant-wax; W. B. Rogers and C. T. Jackson.-p. 60, On the Infusorial deposit in the Tertiary of Virginia and Maryland; W. B. Rogers.-p. 64, Mineral resources of the Rocky Mountain Chain;

W. P. Blake. p. 74, On the frozen well of Brandon, Vt.; C. Stodder.-p. 75, Paradoxides Harlani, C. T. Jackson.-Habits of marine animals observed at West Yarmouth, Mass.; T. Lyman.-Diatomaceæ from Milwaukee; A. M. Edwards.—p. 81, Report on the frozen well at Brandon, Vt.; Jackson and Blake.—p. 89, On collecting, preparing and mounting Diatomacea; A M. Edwards.-p. 102, A list of Birds seen at the Bahamas, from Jan. 20th to May 14th, 1859, with descriptions of new or little known species; H. Bryant.

PROCEEDINGS PHILADELPHIA ACAD. NAT. SCI., 1859.-p. 162, On fossil teeth and bones collected by Prof. Emmons: Ontocetus Emmonsi, nov. sp., founded on the tooth of a Cetacean; J. Leidy.-Notice of Humboldt; I. Lea.-p. 164, On a specimen of Hydaticus zonatus; C. A. Helmuth.-p. 165, Description of new generic types of Cottoids from the Collection of the North Pacific Expedition; T. Gill.-P. 167, Description of a new species of Callianidea; T. Gill.-p. 168, Entomacrodus, a new genus of Salariana; T. Gill.-p. 169, Herpetological Notices; C. Girard.— p. 170, Twelve new Uniones from Georgia; I. Lea-Catalogue of Birds collected on the Rivers Camma and Ogobai, W. Africa, by Mr. P. B. Duchaillu, with notes and descriptions of new species; J. Cassin.-p. 177, On fresh-water shells, I. Lea.Fossils from the Post-Pliocene of S. C., with Dr. Leidy's paper on the fossil Horse, and Prof. Agassiz' letter; Holmes-p. 187, Four new exotic Unionidae; I. Lea.-p. 188, Notes on American land-shells, No. 5; W. G. Binney. p. 189, Catalogue of birds collected in the vicinity of Fort Tejon, Cal., with description of a new Syrnium; J. Xantus. p. 194, Freyia Americana, a new animalcule from Newport Harbor; J. Leidy-p. 195, Evorthodus, a new genus of Gobioids; T. Gill.-p. 196, Pimeletropis, a new genus of Siluroids from South America; T. Gill.-p. 197, New genera and species of N. American Tipulida with short palpi, with an attempt at a new classification of the tribe, (pp. 59 and three plates); R. von Osten Sacken.-p. 255, A spider catches a fish; E. A. Spring.-p. 256, Contributions to American Lepidopterology; B. Clemens.-p. 262, On a deformed fragmentary Human Skull from Jerusalem; J. A. Meigs. Supplement-Catalogue of the Invertebrate Fossils of the Cretaceous Formation of the United States; W. M. Gabb.

JOURNAL PHILADELPHIA ACAD. NAT. SCI., Vol. VI, Pt. II.-Contains the following papers: Synopsis of the North American Sphingidæ, by B. Clemens, M.D.; and New Unionidae of the United States, by I. Lea, LL.D.

CANADIAN NATURALIST AND GEOLOGIST, Oct. 1859-A new Gasterosteus, G. gymnetes; Dawson.-Glacial Phenomena of Canada and the North-eastern United States during the Drift Period; Ramsey.-On Ozone; Smallwood.-Fossils of the Calciferous Sandrock, etc.; Billings.-New Trilobites; Billings.-On the Aurora of 28th of August; Smallwood.

ANNALS AND MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY, LONDON, OCT. 1859.-Cellulose in starch-grains; H. von Mohl.-New spiders from Madeira; J. Blackwall.-Nudibran chiate mollusks of Ceylon; Kelaart.-New genera and species of phytophagous insects; Baly.-Digestive power in the Actiniæ; Holdsworth.-New Entomostraca from Jerusalem; two plates; Baird.-N. American Fungi; Berkeley and Curtis.A new antelope (Kobus), from Central Africa; Gray-Nov. 1859-Reproduction of Bark-lice, with a plate; R. Leuckart.-New Anthribida; Pascoe.-Nomenclature of the Foraminifera; Parker and Jones.-Coleoptera of Old Calabar; Murray.-On certain genera of plants; Miers.--On Hydroid Zoophytes; Allman.--Ceylon insects; F. Walker-A new Catharus from Western Mexico; Sclater.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.--The volume for 1858 contains the following papers of more or less interest to American zoologists:--p. 38, Genera of Olivæ; J. E. Gray.--p. 90, On Stavelia, a new genus of Mytilide, and on some Distorted Bivalves, with a plate; J. E. Gray.--p. 92, Nerita and its operculum; J. E. Gray.--p. 145, Rearrangement of the genera of British Actiniada; W. Thompson.--On Sponges, by Dr. Gray, pages 113, 114, 229, and 531, with plates.-p. 136, Separation of the Salamandrida into two families, by the form of the skull, J. E. Gray.--p. 225, Description of new Pinnæ; S. Hanley. (The South Carolininan Pinnæ called by American Conchologists P. seminuda and P. muricata are P. carolinensis, Hanl. and P. squamosissima, Phil.)--p. 339, Systematic Arrangement of the Tail-less Batrachians; Gunther.--p. 360, On the genus Synapta; Woodward & Barrett.--p. 373, Geographical Distribution of Reptiles; Gunther.--p. 413, Monograph of the Cæcida; P. P. Carpenter.--Also many papers relating to Central American Ornithology, by P. L. Sclater.

W. S.

IV. ASTRONOMY AND METEOROLOGY.

1. Discovery of the 57th planetoid (Mnemosyne).-Another planet, appearing like a star of the 10th magnitude, supposed to be one of the group between Mars and Jupiter, was discovered by M. Robert Luther, Sept. 22, 1859, at the Observatory of Bilk. It is the 57th of the group, and has been named Mnemosyne.—(Comptes Rendus, Oct. 5, 1859.)

2. Total Solar Eclipse of July 18, 1860.-M. FAYE has called the attention of astronomers and of all lovers of astronomy to the rare opportunity for important observations presented by this eclipse, which will traverse the earth from California to the Red Sea. The total darkness will travel across North America about the 60th degree of North latitude, leaving it at Hudson's Straits, and leaping the Atlantic, pass across Spain, strike the Balearic Isles, pass through Algeria, and crossing the Nile north of Dongola, take leave in Ethiopia. He names seven stations as specially favorable for observation, viz., 1. In Oregon between the Pacific ocean and the Rocky Mountains. 2. In Labrador, in lat. 59° N. 3 and 4. In Spain on the Atlantic and on the Mediterranean coasts. 5. At Ivica in the Balearic isles. 6. At Kabylia in Algeria. 7. At Dongola on the Nile.

At the time of the eclipse, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn, will be in the vicinity of the Sun, and form a sort of rhomboid about it. Such a spectacle will not be visible again for many ages.

The objects to be secured by these observations may be arranged under four heads. 1. The more exact determination of the errors of the lunar tables. 2. The determination of the longitudes of places too remote from each other to be connected by the electric telegraph. 3. The verification of the present data for the solar and lunar parallax and the flattening of the earth. 4. The solution of certain questions respecting the physical constitution of the sun, and of the space in its vicinity.

M. Faye proposes that at the two principal stations photographic methods should be substituted in place of direct observation. A telescope of large object glass and long focus should be used, and a large number of proofs should be taken between the first and last contact, taking care to keep horizontal the collodionized plate. During the total obscuration, the whole object glass should be uncovered, and the most sensitive plates employed in order to obtain proofs on a large scale of the aureola and solar flames, while observers provided with hand telescopes, with fresh eyes, should deliberately study all particulars which photography can not

secure.

As to the meteorological phenomena, M. Faye proposes to add the sympiczometer as more quick to show the rapid fluctuations of the atmosphere; and instead of the common thermometer to use a self-registering Breguet's metallic thermometer carried into the air by a captive balloon. The variations of the magnet should also be observed, for if the earth's magnetism is affected by the spots which periodically obscure part of the sun's disk, may it not be affected by the more rapid obscuration of the same by the moon? Possibly the wires of the electric telegraph, arranged now with and now against the direction of the eclipse may show perturbations too fugitive to be detected by bar magnets.