410 Analytical Notices of Books. 



Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia^ 8vo. 

 Vol. iv. Part i. pp. 200. Plates xiii. and Part ii. No. i. 



Highly creditable as have been the previous volumes of this 

 Journal to the Society from which they have emanated, and to the 

 authors of the Papers contained in them, the present is not inferior 

 to its predecessors in value and interest. Devoted to the develop- 

 ment in its various branches of the Natural History of the northern 

 part especially of the vast continent of America, this object is 

 pursued with a zeal which merits the warmest praise. With the 

 opportunities afforded by the extensive field, hitherto only par- 

 tially explored, in the cultivation of which these active naturalists 

 are engaged, the result of their labours cannot fail to be extremely 

 beneficial to the general advancement of the science. On the 

 attention of the Zoologist in particular this publication possesses 

 peculiar claims, the study of the animal kingdom appearing to 

 form the favourite department of inquiry. Ample evidence of 

 this is furnished by the numerous notices contained in it, which 

 embrace almost every class of animated nature. Of these we 

 propose to ofier a brief analysis, and to revert from time to time to 

 the succeeding volumes as they continue to appear. 



The only paper relative to recent Mammalia, is the descrip- 

 tion, by Dr. Poeppig of Leipzig, of a new species of Capromys^ 

 C.prehensilisy '' Tail elongated, cylindrical, as long as the body ; 

 head, soles of the anterior and posterior feet, and claws, white." 

 In consequence of this new discovery it has become necessary to 

 characterize the original species, C.pilorides, (the C. Furniei^iy 

 Desm. Zool. Journ. Vol. I. p. 81, and Isodon pilorides^ Say, 

 lb. p. 230) ; which is thus done by Dr. Poeppig ; " Tail short, 

 one third of the length of the body ; head of the same colour ; 

 soles of the anterior and posterior feet, and claws, black." The 

 former of these is termed by the Spaniards of Cuba, Agutia Cara- 

 valli, from a fancied resemblance in its slothful and melancholy 

 habits, its slow motions, and insatiable hunger, to the African 

 tribe named Caravalli ; the same principle assigning to the latter 

 the denomination of Agutia Congo, from its similarity to the Congo 



