Zoological Society, 253 



in every point of view : the position of the animals well-chosen to 

 exhibit their characters and habits, — nothing overstrained, nothing 

 exaggerated, — and yet, sobered down as they are to nature, nothing 

 can well be imagined more chaste and beautiful in colouring, or more 

 curious in exterior decoration. The letter-press is not less worthy 

 of praise for its correct and almost severe simplicity. The singular 

 beauty of the objects before them has never tempted the authors to 

 the indulgence of a figurative and flowery style, which, while it might 

 have rendered the descriptions obscure, would only have marred the 

 pleasing effect which these portraits must produce on every culti- 

 vated mind. All is in keeping, — artists and authors, — and every 

 page of the work bespeaks the correct and excellent taste of the 

 authors of it. 



The promise which this number gives us of the value of that which 

 is to come, will be kept, we feel assured, to the letter ; and what 

 pleases us most of all, is the fact, that this beautiful volume wall have 

 a circulation far beyond what similar works have hitherto had ; that it 

 will not be confined to the libraries of the rich, but will travel down, 

 unaided by the cheapness of plain copies and of inferior paper, to the 

 table of the great bulk of the naturalists of this country. It is this 

 diffusive quality of the " Ray Society " that makes us set a value upon 

 it. Here it has placed before a great number, pictures of forms which 

 are novel and hitherto undreamt of by them ; and we, who have been 

 long familiar with the animals, can almost envy their new-born feel- 

 ings of delight at the contemplation of this now unveiled feature in 

 the portraiture of the Divine Mind. There is a great deal of good 

 done, were the effect of this monograph to stop at this ; but we even 

 cherish the hope that it may induce some to taste a higher pleasure 

 in the personal study of these " elaborate compositions " of our and 

 their Creator. We cannot but wish all success to a Society which 

 affords so rich a treat at so small an expense. 



PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



April 22, 1845.— Richard C. Griffith, Esq., in the Chair. 



" Descriptions of new species of Helix, in the cabinet of H. Cu- 

 ming, Esq.," by Dr. L. PfeifFer. 



Helix ponderosa, Pfr. Hel. T. imperforatd, suhglohosd, tumidd, 

 solidd, ponderosd, laviusculd (striis incrementi et concentricis con- 

 fertissimis vix perspicvis) , alba, bast epidermide nitidd, pallide 

 corned indutd ; anfractibus 4^ convexiusculis, ultimo subangulato, 

 fasciis albis hydrophanis infra angulum obsolete notato ; columella 

 recta, lata, perobliqud ; aperturd subauri/ormi, intus albd ; peri- 

 stomal e late rejlexo. 

 Diam. long. 23 ; transv. 17 ; altit. 13^ hn. 



From Banguey, province of North Ilocos, isle of Luzon : found on 

 leaves of trees. (Cuming.) 



