clxviii GENERAL SUMMARY OF SCIENTIFIC AND 



various countries, probably the most interesting are respectively the 

 monograph of tlie fishes of the Aralo-Caspio-Euxiue basin, by Pro- 

 fessor Kessler; the Catalogue of the Fishes of the Bermudas, by Pro- 

 fessor G. Brown Goocle ; and the summary of the fishes of the high 

 mountainous lake of Peru, Titicaca, by Mr. S, Garman. These owe 

 their interest to the isolated positions or other geographical rela- 

 tions of the regions in question. 



The number of fishes in the great interior basin first alluded to is 

 unexpectedly large, considering tlie latitude and character of the 

 surrounding country ; about 280 have been recognized by Professor 

 Kessler. Doubtless the most interesting development, to Americans 

 at least, is the discovery of not less than three species of the genus 

 SmpliorhyncJms (a genus belonging to the sturgeon fiimily), of which, 

 until lately, but one species had been known, and that a familiar in- 

 habitant of the Mississippi Valley. 



Nothing of a special interesting or novel nature has been published 

 on the class of Amphibians. 



In the class of reptiles, the discovery of a second species, or at 

 least supposed species, oi the genus 8i)henodon^ or Hatteria, deserves 

 notice. The genus Splienodon had hitherto only been known to con- 

 tain one species, and that the sole existing representative of a former- 

 ly richly developed order. The first species appears to be confined to 

 Karewa Island, in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand ; and the second 

 species has been discovered in the Brother Island, also of the New 

 Zealand archipelago. 



In Ornithology quite a number of valuable contributions have been 

 made to the morphology and taxonomy of various groups l)y Garrod, 

 Kidder, Coues, and others ; and the faunas of a number of countries 

 have received attention from systematic ornithologists. 



One of the most interesting publications on classification is a mon- 

 ograph on Ckionis and its relations, by Drs. Kidder and Coues. This 

 genus is confined to the southern hemisphere, where it is represent- 

 ed by two sjDecies; one found at the extremity of South America, 

 etc., and the other on Kerguelen Island, etc. The affinities of this 

 form were long involved in much doubt : it had, according to some, 

 passerine relations; according to others, gallinaceous ones; but, in 

 the opinion of most recent ornithologists, it was most nearly related 

 to the plover-like birds, and especially the genus Hfematojms. It 

 now appears, however, from the investigations of Kidder and Coues, 

 that it is nearer of kin to the gulls than any other birds; but that 

 its relations, to some extent, are intermediate between the plovers 

 and the gulls. The authors cited have therefore recognized it as 

 the type of a primary group or " super-family " of birds under the 

 name of Chionomorplice^ w^hich is intercalated between the Charadrio- 

 morjjJice and CecomoiyJice. 



The contributions to our knowledge of the avifliunas of regions 



