ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 297 



e. General. 



Distribution of Marine Mammals.*— Prof. J. Palacky thinks that 

 marine mammals represent decadent groups. The number of extinct 

 forms is usually large in proportion to tbat of the extant ; — Sirenia, 

 5:1; Pinnipedia, 30 : 54 ; Cetacea, 286 : 112. In Platanistidre the 

 numbers are 72 : 3 ; in Physeteridse, 68 : 16 ; in Mystacoceti, 91 : 36 ; 

 but in dolphins the fossils are in the minority (18 : 63). 



The older distribution was more uniform than that of to-day ; human 

 influence has been very disturbing. Geological facts show that an 

 arctic origin must be excluded, but three distribution-centres may be 

 recognised, — Argentina, N.E. America, and Mid-Europe. It was after 

 the Glacial Periods that the northern immigration occurred, and the 

 peopling of the Antarctic ocean was also recent. The boundaries of 

 the zoo-geographical marine regions are somewhat arbitrary. 



Plankton and Abyssal Fauna around Capri.f — Dr. S. Lo Bianco 

 gives an account — full of interesting notes — of the animals captured 

 from the surface and from the deep waters in the vicinity of Capri. 

 Tho investigations were made in April on Herr F. A. Krupp's ' Maia.' 

 They re-emphasise the richness and variety of the Mediterranean fauna, 

 and the discovery of 27 new species near an area which has been rela- 

 tively well worked is in itself striking. 



New Species of Atherine in Fresh Water. J — Prof. L. Roule de- 

 scribes as Atherina riqueti what he regards as a new species of recent 

 origin, to all appearance a fresh-water derivative of the marine A. boyeri, 

 just as A. lacustria seems to be derived from the marine A. hejpsetus. 

 The new form was found in the Canal du Midi which connects the basin 

 of the Garonne with the Mediterranean. 



Molluscum Contagiosum in Amphibians.§ — P. Mingazzini de- 

 scribes a case of this skin disease in Discoglos&us pictus. The disease 

 has been hitherto known only in warm-blooded animals (man, sheep, 

 pigeon, fowl), but in spite of differences in the degree of infection and 

 in the dimensions of the parasite, there seems no doubt as to its occur- 

 rence in the amphibian mentioned. 



Prodromus of Monograph on Cham£eleons.|| —Dr. Fr. "Werner be- 

 gins by noticing that since Boulenger's " classic catalogue " (1887) the 

 number of known species of chameleons has been considerably increased. 

 Twenty-six new species of Ghamseleon, four of Brookesia, and three of 

 Rhampholeon, have been described. The total is now 82 species. 



The first section deals with the classification of the species of 

 Chamseleon, which the author arranges in seven groups. The diverse- 

 snout appendages — apparently of polyphyletic origin — are arranged on 

 four distinct lines. Then follows a discussion of the markings, of which 

 eight different sorts are distinguished. The geographical distribution, 



* Zool. Jahrb., xv. (1901) pp. 249-66.' 



t MT. Zool. Stat. Neapel, xv. (1901 ) pp. 413-S2 (1 map). 



X Zool. Anzeig., xxv. (1902) pp. 2G2-7 (4 figs.). 



§ Atti K. Accad. Lincei (Rend.';, xi. (1902) pp. 258-63. 



|| Zool. Jahrb., xv. (1902) pp. 295-460 (13 pie. and 2 figs.). 



