198 Bibliographical Notices. 



maintaining the balance of animal and vegetable life in a confined 

 space was first put forward, the Zoological Society has established a 

 fine collection of marine animals, which has enabled even the general 

 public to appreciate the beauty of these inhabitants of the deep. 

 Mr. Gosse very naturally concludes, that this exhibition will induce 

 many to attempt the formation of Aquaria in their own houses ; and 

 his object in publishing this little book is to furnish such persons 

 with the necessary directions for the construction and management 

 of their collections. It is, as he tells us in his preface, founded to a 

 great extent upon the concluding chapter of his larger work upon the 

 Aquarium, a work which, from its entering largely upon the natural 

 history of the animals which may be kept in these artificial rock- 

 pools, and from the expensive nature of its illustrations, is far too 

 costly to be generally available as a guide for beginners. 



This little handbook appears to contain every information that 

 can be required for a commencement, — such as the diff'erent modes 

 of constructing and fitting up the tanks, the mode of collecting 

 animals and plants to stock them, and of keeping the inhabitants in 

 health in their confined abode. We also find Mr. Gosse' s receipt 

 for making artificial sea-water, which, notwithstanding Mr. Waring- 

 ton's objections to it, appears to answer well, and will no doubt 

 enable many to preserve marine animals in inland situations where 

 they would be unable to procure natural sea-water. The whole 

 of the directions are given in a plain and intelligible style, and the 

 book will doubtless prove highly acceptable to those who interest 

 themselves in marine zoology. 



Popular Geography of PlantSy or a Botanical Excursion rcmnd the 

 World. By E. M. C. Edited by C. Daubeny, M.D. &c. 

 London: Reeve. 1855. 



A little work of no great pretensions, and, as such, deserving of a 

 good word. It consists chiefly of gatherings from the narratives of 

 botanical travellers, loosely dovetailed together and supported on the 

 framework of Meyen's Geographical Regions. We think the au- 

 thor has diluted a little too much, in the desire to be popular ; the 

 mere fact of being sufficiently acquainted with plants to derive any 

 distinct idea from the many names cited, would almost imply an 

 amount of previous knowledge sufficient to form a basis for a little 

 more in the way of general principles. However, tolerable success 

 has been attained in keeping up the spirit of the narrative style 

 adopted, — a matter of some difficulty considering the concision re- 

 quired, and the frequent sudden transitions and changes of scene. 

 We can recommend the work for the reading of persons young or 

 old who have a taste for plants, especially to amateur botanists who 

 have not begun to study in this direction. It is also especially cal- 

 culated to heighten the interest which ordinary persons may derive 

 from visits to Kew or other botanical gardens. 



The illustrations are very bad — so much so, as to act as a terrible 

 * damper * on the fire of the text. 



