G. GENERAL NATURAL HISTORY AND ZOOLOGY. 271 



these depredators, destroying them at the rate of several 

 hundreds each per day. 2 A, September 9, 1871, 162. 



ALLEN OX THE BIRDS OF EAST FLORIDA, ETC. 



One of the most original and important contributions to 

 the zoology of the day is that constituting the third number 

 of the Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at 

 Cambridge, treating upon the mammals and winter birds of 

 East Florida. The author, Mr. J. A. Allen, an assistant of 

 Professor Agassiz, is well known for the thoroughness of his 

 research into the vertebrata of America, and the critical at- 

 tention paid by him to the proj:>er limitation of species, both 

 in their relationships to each other, and in their geographical 

 distribution. In the present work he gives a summary of the 

 views to which he has been led within a few years past by 

 his studies of the immense collection in the Cambridge Muse- 

 um, and makes numerous important generalizations. Among 

 these he corroborates the conclusion previously announced by 

 others of the diminution in size of the American birds in pro- 

 portion as their birthplace is more southern, and also that 

 there is a similar difference existing between the animals of 

 the higher and lower altitudes. He also finds that with the 

 more southern locality of summer abode there are correspond- 

 ing differences in color and proportion, as well as in habits, 

 notes, and song, the vivacity of the bird decreasing as its size 

 increases. The principal difference in color with the more 

 southern localities consist in the darker tints and the reduced 

 extent of any white markings, with other features that our 

 space will not permit us to give at the present time. The 

 entire work is one eminently worthy of careful study, and is 

 destined to exercise a very important influence upon the meth- 

 ods of zoological research. Bull. 31. C. Z., II., 3, 1871. 



IXJURY TO THE FLORIDA CABLE BY SEA TURTLES. 



When ocean cables were first submerged, various apprehen- 

 sions of probable injury were entertained, some of which have 

 proved to be well founded, and others less so. It was sup- 

 posed that worms or mollusks would burrow in the substance 

 of the envelope, and ultimately penetrate to the centre of the 

 wires ; or, again, that the attachment of barnacles, mollusks, 

 or other marine animals on the exterior would invite the at- 



