i895. SOME NEW BOOKS. 425 



In the chapter on the geographical distribution of the OHgochaeta, 

 the author first describes the factors, which may be the cause of the 

 migrations of the terrestrial forms (our knowledge about aquatic forms 

 is, in this respect, much too scanty). AUolohophora and Liimhvicns belong 

 to the most widespread species, then follow Endnlus eugenice, Pontoscolex 

 corcthnirus, and some species of Pcviclurta. In respect to species, the 

 Nearctic and Palaearctic regions show the greatest similarity. This is 

 also true of the Oriental and Australian forms ; here the Crypto- 

 drilidac and Perichaetidae are the principal forms. The Neotropic and 

 Ethiopic regions are the richest in genera (15, 11), the Oriental and 

 Australian are almost equal, then comes the Pala^arctic (4, 5), and, 

 finally, the Nearctic. 



Writing of the classification of the Oligochaeta, Beddard starts 

 with the comparison of the characters of Claparede's groups, Limicolae 

 and Terricolae, with the family Moniligastridas, and states with 

 justice that these earthworms are a family of the Limicolae, which, 

 following Benham, he describes as Microdrili. Equivalent to this 

 group are the two remaining Megadrili of Benham (Terricolae sens, str.) 

 and the Aphanoneura of the reviewer, which division may be deemed a 

 very happy one. That the last-named group of the Aphanoneura 

 takes the lowest place among the Oligochaeta — lower, indeed, than the 

 so-called " Archiannelida " — has been already stated by the reviewer. 

 On the other hand, it is very hard to agree with Beddard's view that 

 the Phreoryctidae represent one of the primitive families of the Micro- 

 drili. The chief representatives of this family, Phreovyctcs vicnkcanus 

 and P. filiformis, are very little known in respect of their sexual organs, 

 and P. sniithi must perhaps be referred to some other genus than 

 Phnorydes. In the same way, the derivation of the remaining families 

 of earthworms does not seem permissible to the reviewer, especially as 

 the Naidomorpha represent a much earlier group than the rest, from 

 which the Tubificidae, Enchytrseidae, and Lumbriculidae can easily be 

 derived. The Chaetogastridae, a very distinct and characteristic 

 family, which at any rate can easily be derived from the Naido- 

 morpha, Beddard, Avithout reason, associates with the latter ; and, on 

 the other hand, he gives no reasons why the Discodrilidas (with 

 Branchiohdella) are separated from the system of the Oligochaeta. 

 Even the description of the individual genera of Naidomorpha, which 

 are much better characterised than the modern genera of Enchy- 

 traeidae, seems to the reviewer not allowable. In this respect — but in 

 this only — Beddard's system will have to be revised ; in other respects 

 his book represents a model monograph, which all future workers 

 must consult, whether they intend to work at the morphology of 

 animals or to advance the special study of the Oligochaeta. 



Prague University. F. Vejdovskv. 



A Would-be Legislator. 



The Migration of British Birds, Including their Post-GIacial Emigrations as 

 Traced by the Application of a New Law of Dispersal, being a Contribution to 

 the Study of Migration, Geographical Distribution, and Insular Faunas. By 

 Charles Dixon. Pp. 320, with maps. London : Chapman & Hall, 1895. 

 Price 7s. 6d. 



Mr. Charles Dixon, or his publisher, is a good-natured man, willing 

 to relieve the reviewer of the tedium of reading his book ; for there 

 Is inserted behind the title-page an agreeable little printed slip — a 

 skeleton review in which the main points of the book and their im- 

 portance are pleasantly set forth. We must reluctantly decline, 



