Literary Notices, 127 



Swainson, W., F.R.S., &c. : The Elements of Modern Con- 

 chology ; with Definitions of all the Tribes, Families, and 

 Genera, Recent and Fossil, briefly and plainly stated : for 

 the Use of Students and Travellers. 12mo, 64 pages. 

 London, 1835. 3s. 6d. 



" Conchology, as a Science, must be founded both upon 

 the structure of the soft parts of the animal [that is, the struc- 

 ture of the animal itself], and upon the shell which covers it. 

 ... As our present business, however, is with the shells, and 

 not with the animals, we shall chiefly confine our remarks to 

 the latter." The scope of Mr. Swain son's work is, accord- 

 ingly, mainly on the shell part of conchology. We are glad 

 to have the means of access to so much from him ; and cannot 

 doubt that the definitions of the genera, and notices of their 

 ordinal relations, &c, are worthy the reputation of the author. 

 We think that some of the introductory definitions are not 

 free of vagueness ; and we perceive that not a few typographic 

 errors are apparent in the hard words of the book. The 

 author, in producing an elementary work, ought to have im- 

 posed on himself the duty of seeing it expurgated of such 

 errors. There is a possibility, at least, of their proving an 

 inconvenience to those who have need of elementary works. 

 The last chapter in the work is " on collecting, preserving, 

 and arranging shells:" it includes, besides, "a plan of 

 study." 



Art. II. Literary Notices. 



Bechstein, J. M., M.D., &c. : Cage Birds : their Natural 

 History, Management, Habits, Food, Diseases, Treatment, 

 Breeding, and the Methods of catching them. With notes 

 by the translator. Post 8vo, 434 pages. Orr and Smith. 

 London, 1835. [This work is published.] 



Of Partington's British Cyclopaedia of Natural History, 

 parts vii. and viii., which contain generalisations on the attri- 

 butes of birds, on their structure, and the functions of their 

 organs, are two parts replete with interesting matter, supplied 

 by, it is understood, Mr. Mudie. They contain rather many 

 woodcuts. The parts are Is. each. 



Of The Naturalist's Library, seven volumes, on the follow- 

 ing subjects, additional to one on The Dogs and one on The 

 Deer and Antelopes, notified in VII. 656., have been an- 

 nounced : — 



