Bibliographical Notices. 475 



will undertake ; but it is one highly advantageous to the progress of 

 the sciences ; and to one who knew the species of ducks as well as the 

 author, it would have been a work of comparative facility. 



The Bee-Keeper's Manual. By Henry Taylor, pp. 78. Groombridge. 



This little tract, though not of much pretension, and in a cheap 

 form, appears to have the merit of being judiciously arranged and 

 well adapted for practical purposes by one who had devoted his at- 

 tention to the subject as a favourite pursuit. It was designed, the 

 author informs us, as " a brief practical compendium of the manage- 

 ment of Bees, and in particular on the humane or depriving system, 

 in collateral ventilating boxes, as constructed by himself." 



" On reviewing his experience as a bee-keeper," he adds, " the 

 author was led to believe that the result of it, added to a concise 

 view of such particulars as are usually spread over a large surface in 

 works of this nature, and arranged according to the progressive or- 

 der of the seasons, might be useful to others, seeking like himself 

 occasional relaxation from weightier matters, in watching over and 

 protecting these interesting and valuable insects. Step by step, this 

 or that defect of construction in his hives had been remedied, and 

 such conveniences added, as necessity or the spirit of improvement 

 from time to time had suggested. These are briefly described in 

 the following little work." 



Mr Taylor concludes his Manual, in which he states that " he has 

 confined himself entirely to matters of practice," with the following 

 remark : " My attention has been chiefly directed to the mechanical 

 part of bee-keeping. Beyond this I have no leisure or opportunity 

 to go, although doubtless much remains to be done in the pursuit of 

 scientific investigation. Those who wish to enter into the question 

 of the internal ceconomy and the general physiology of the honey- 

 bee may consult a variety of works. The principal of these are 

 quoted in Mr. Huish's and Dr. Bevan's elaborate publications, in 

 which are detailed a number of valuable facts, together with the re- 

 sults of many experiments." 



Of Dr. Bevan's copious and highly interesting work, " The Ho- 

 ney Bee," a new and improved edition has been just received, and 

 will claim our early notice. 



Monograph of the Genus Oenothera. 



We are happy to be able to state that a " Monograph of the Ge- 

 nus CEnothera" is in preparation, with drawings from the pencil of 



