Bibliographical Notices. 137 



M. Hoffmann* examined fresh peduncles of Nelumbium lu- 

 teum and speciosum, the air-passages of which have diaphragms 

 composed of a stellar-formed cellular tissue, but do not con- 

 tain any such hairs as in the Nymphcea. M. Hoffmann found 

 however that the sides of the air-cavities of these plants were 

 covered with groups of crystals, which during their increase 

 tear asunder the membranes of the inclosing cells, and in this 

 manner project into the cavities, as in Pontederia cor data and 

 Myriophyllum, &c. 



[To be continued.] 



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 



Naturalist's Library : — the Natural History of Dogs, vol. ii., and the 

 Natural History of Horses. 



These two volumes are from the pen of Lieut. -Col. Chas. Hamilton 

 Smith, so well known for his valuable contributions to the volumes 

 on Mammalia of Griffiths's edition of the ' Regne Animal.' 



The author includes in the family Canidce, or Dog tribe, the three 

 genera Canis, Hycena, and Proteles. The first of these genera he di- 

 vides into numerous sections, the characters of which, in many in- 

 stances, are far from being satisfactory. 



In a former volume Col. Smith treats of the Canidce which are 

 diurnal and have round pupils to the eyes, constituting his subgenus 

 Chaon, which includes the Wolves and Jackals ; these the author sub- 

 divides into no less than ten sections. 



The present volume contains an account of the Domestic Dogs, 

 the Foxes, the Hyaenas, and the curious genus Proteles. 



The Domestic Dogs Col. Smith does not consider have descended 

 solely from a species of Wolves or Jackals, " but from genuine Wild 

 Dogs of more than one homogeneous species." The grounds upon 

 which this opinion is founded are discussed in the first volume. 



Although we suspect naturalists will not adopt Col. Smith's nu- 

 merous new subdivisions of the Canidce, still we feel sure his volumes 

 on the Dogs, as well as the volume on Horses, will be regarded by 

 them as most valuable contributions to their branch of science — the 

 great research displayed by the author in the treatment of his sub- 

 ject has rendered them such. 



Col. Smith combats the opinion expressed by some authors, that 

 the aboriginal region where the Wild Horse was first subdued was 

 Africa ; and enters into a long argument to prove the original habi- 

 tation of the Domestic Horse, considered as a single species, "should 

 be sought in High Asia, about the fortieth degree of latitude, the 

 table-land whence riding and charioteer nomads have incessantly is- 

 sued, penetrating to the east, the south, and the west, from periods 

 evidently anterior to historical record almost to our own times ; that 

 from Central Asia, northward and westward, and including, to the 



* Tijdschrift, &c, 1839, p. 271—274. 



