224 Bibliographical Notices. 



the one now under consideration, we cannot but think that the entire 

 series will be too bulky foq the ordinary student ; and the cost will 

 certainly be considerable. 



The General Introduction to the Principles of Zoology occupies 

 about twenty pages, and, although necessarily brief, is written in a 

 sound and philosophical spirit. Our author is evidently a disciple of 

 the most advanced school of zoology ; but he treats disputed questions 

 with great fairness, and evidently allows due weight to the arguments 

 on both sides. 



In his treatment of the group to which the present manual is 

 especially devoted, Professor Greene exhibits the same characteristics : 

 he has with great care brought together all the well-established 

 information that we possess upon the Protozoa, and at the same time 

 indicated where our knowledge is defective. The most recent con- 

 tributions to the history of these minute organisms have been con- 

 consulted by the author, and their leading results embodied in his 

 work ; and the student will be greatly assisted in his investigations 

 by a well-selected and classified bibliographical list, including the 

 most important works and papers published on the different groups 

 of Protozoa. 



The groups admitted by Professor Greene are as follows : 



1. Rhizopoda, under which we find an analysis of the classifications 

 of D'Orbigny and Schultze, the latter with the equivalents of the 

 groups in D'Orbigny's system, both of which, however, the author 

 justly characterizes as "premature;" 2. Polycystince ; 3. Spon- 

 gidce (for which we should have preferred the term Porifera) ; 

 4. ThalassicollidcB, to which the Acanthometrce of J. Muller are 

 appended; 5. Gregarinidce, including Prorospermice ; and, 6. Infu- 

 soria, as to the nature of which Professor Greene adopts the view 

 put forward by Lachmann and Carter in papers published in this 

 Journal. The curious and problematical genus Noctiluca is described 

 under the last-mentioned group, of which it is possibly an aberrant 

 member. 



In conclusion, we have much pleasure in recommending Professor 

 Greene's Manual as a guide to those who are engaged in the study 

 of zoology, and we can only hope that the succeeding volumes may 

 be published fast enough to prevent a new edition of the first being 

 necessary before the concluding one makes its appearance. 



Letters from Alabama, chiefly relating to Natural History. By 

 PHILIP HENRY GOSSE, F.R.S. 12mo. London: Morgan and 

 Chase, 1859. 



MR. GOSSE informs us that his object in visiting the little known 

 State of Alabama was partly to establish a school in one of the rural 

 districts, and partly to take advantage of his position to investigate 

 the natural history of that part of the world. The little book to 

 which we now call the attention of our readers is the result of this 

 expedition. 



It consists of a series of letters, which we may remark en passant 



