Faldennann's Coleopterorum, fyc> Illustrationes, 445 



the active volcanoes. The porphyries, conglomerates, sandstone, quartzose- 

 sandstone, and limestones alternate and pass into each other many times 

 (overlying clay-slate, when not broken through by the granite)." 



Viviparous Reptiles. — "I also send a small bottle with two lizards : one 

 of them is viviparous, as you will see by the accompanying notice. M. 

 Gay, a French naturalist, has already published, in one of the newspapers 

 of this country, a similar statement j and, probably, has forwarded to Paris 

 some account." 



" The following is an extract from the newspaper referred to by Mr. 

 Darwin : — 



" * Besides these labours, I employed myself, during the great rains, in dis- 

 secting various reptiles. It must be interesting to know the influence of 

 the climate of Valdivia on the animals of this family. In the greater part 

 of those which I have been able to submit to my scalpel, I have found a 

 truly extraordinary fact, that they were viviparous. Not only the innocent 

 snake of Valdivia has offered to my notice this singular phenomenon, but 

 also a beautiful and new kind of Iguana, which approaches very near to the 

 Liposoma of Spix, and to which, on account of its beautiful colours, he has 

 given the name of Chrysosaurus. All the species, even those which lay eggs 

 in Santiago, here produce their young alive ; and the same thing happens 

 with some Batrachians, and particularly with a genus near to the Rhinella 

 of Fitzingen, of which the numerous species have the skin pleasingly 

 spotted with green, yellow, and black. I need not dwell on the importance 

 of this last example, in reference to comparative anatomy : an importance 

 which appeared to me still greater when, on analysing a tadpole not yet trans- 

 formed, I satisfied myself that nature has not varied her plan of organisation. 

 In these, as in the tadpoles which live in water, the intestines were of a 

 length very disproportioned to the body. Now, if this length was necessary 

 to the latter, which live upon vegetable substances, it was altogether useless 

 to those which are to undergo their metamorphosis in the belly of the mo- 

 ther : and thus nature has followed the march prescribed to her by a uni- 

 formity of construction; and, without deviating from it,has admitted a simple 

 exception, a real hiatus, well worthy the attention of the philosophical 

 naturalist.' " 



Faldermann, Fr., Auctore : Horti Botanici Imperialis Petro- 

 politani Cultorum supremo, Societatis Naturae Scrutatorum 

 Mosquensis, Sodali ordinario, etc. Coleopterorum ab illus- 

 trissimo Bungio in China boreali, Montgolia, et montibus 

 Altaicis collectorum, nee non ab illustrissimo Turczaninoffio 

 et Stschukino e provincia Irkutz missorum, Illustrationes. 

 Accedunt Tabulae v. 4 to, pp. 128. Petropoli, 1835. 



One hundred and one species are described, and 35 figured. 

 The descriptions are in long detail, and, hence, the more valu- 

 able to entomologists ; European ones especially. All the 

 figures of species are wholly or partly coloured ; and there 

 are figures of dissected parts of five of them. Several of the 

 genera are those of which species are known to occur in 

 Britain. 



Lindley, John, Ph. D., F.R.S., L.S., G.S. : A Natural System 

 of Botany; or, a Systematic View of the Organisation, Na- 

 tural Affinities, and Geographical Distribution, of the 



