372 Bibliographical Notices. 



to that by which numerous contiguous and equally expanding cylin- 

 ders acquire this configuration ; and we must therefore submit with 

 a good grace to give up this as an example of instinct in the Bee. 

 There is, however, a striking exercise of instinct in the construction 

 of the comb, which we are sorry to see that Mr. Samuelson has en- 

 tirely omitted to mention, namely the alternate arrangement of the 

 cells on the two sides of the comb, by which, as is well known, a con- 

 siderable economy of space and material is realized. This is a serious 

 omission in a work devoted to the history of the Honey-Bee. 



Notwithstanding the defects to which we have alluded, and one or 

 two others of minor importance, Mr. Samuelson has succeeded in 

 producing a valuable contribution to our popular entomological 

 literature, and one which we can safely recommend. He has con- 

 cluded it most appropriately with two chapters on instinct ; but to 

 these we cannot allude, further than to say that they contain a good 

 rSsume of the subject. The plates illustrating the description of the 

 Bee are well executed, on tinted paper, and will materially assist the 

 unlearned reader in understanding the anatomical details. 



Actinologia Britannica: a History of the British Sea-Anemones 

 and Madrepores. By P. H. Gosse, F.R.S. London, Van Voorst, 

 1858-60. [Second Notice.] 



It is just two years since we called our readers' attention to the 

 appearance of the first parts of this valuable work ; and it is with 

 much pleasure that we now announce its completion. There are but 

 few books on the Natural History of these Islands that can in any 

 way compare with Mr. Gosse's 'Actinologia Britannica,' whether we 

 regard the evident care and conscientiousness with which it has been 

 got up or the elegance of the illustrations. 



In our previous notice we remarked upon the great strides which 

 have been made in the knowledge of our Helianthoid Polypes within 

 the last few years, mainly in consequence of the strong taste for 

 aquaria, to which Mr. Gosse has most zealously lent a helping hand. 

 A careful comparison of the book now before us with the other 

 standard work on the subject, namely Johnston's ' British Zoophytes,' 

 shows clearly how greatly we are indebted to our author for the pro- 

 gress that has been made in this branch of zoology. In Johnston's 

 volume we find descriptions of thirty-two Sea- Anemones and Corals ; 

 Mr. Gosse describes nearly double that number, namely sixty-three, 

 whilst five others are indicated as imperfectly described by other 

 authors, or as doubtful species, and six more, only one of which was 

 known to Johnston, are placed in an appendix as species incertce 

 sedis. If these doubtful species be hereafter established, the number 

 of British Helianthoida will be raised to seventy-four. On further 

 examination it appears that in all eleven of Johnston's species have 

 disappeared from the list, being placed either as synonyms of others 

 or as doubtful species ; so that the number of species described as 

 British by Johnston which still retain their full specific rank amounts 

 to only twenty-one. We thus get an addition of forty-two species 



