138 Bibliographical Notices, 



Zoology of Western Africa, no less than 400 appear to be peculiar 

 to this part of the continent ; 1 50 occur also in North-east Africa ; 

 64 are also found in South Africa; the remaining 140 appear to be 

 pretty well dispersed over the continent, since they are met with in 

 North-eastern, Western, and Southern Africa. Of the 124 Acci- 

 pit res which are known to occur on the African continent, 56 are 

 met with in Western Africa ; but, singularly enough, no examples 

 of the genera Gypogeranus^ PolyboroideSy or Helotarsus, which are 

 the three most characteristic African types of this order. 



Oi Passer es we have notice of no less than 450 species, among 

 which are members of many remarkable genera — such as Meropiscus, 

 Parinia, IxonotuSy Striphrornis, Pceoptera, Hyperyerus, Bias, Me- 

 gabias, Elminia, Artomyias, Erythrocercus, LobotoSy Chaunonotus, 

 Picathartes, and Onychognathus, which, as far as is hitherto known, 

 are all peculiar to Western Africa. Of Columbce 1 7 species ; of Gal- 

 lines 1 9, including members of the peculiar African genera Numida, 

 AgelastuSy and Phasidus. The two latter forms are restricted to 

 Western Africa. The order Struthiones is worthily represented by 

 the Ostrich. 



Among the 99 species of Grallce contained in Dr. Hartlaub's list, 

 the most eccentric form is perhaps Temminck's Ralline genus Hi- 

 mantornis, discovered by Pel in Ashantee. Lastly, 42 species of 

 Anaerea conclude the series of West African birds. 



Popular History of the Aquarium of Marine and Freshwater Animals 

 and Plants. By George Brettingham Sowerby, F.L.S. 

 12mo. London, Reeve, 1857- 



If we may apply to some of our writers on science the old rule 

 that "by their fruits ye shall know them," it would almost ap- 

 pear that they consider one of the great beauties of a popular work 

 to consist in its resemblance to those complicated pieces of patch- 

 work in which our grandmothers used to take so much pride. The 

 prescription which they adopt in the manufacture of a book would 

 seem to be somewhat as follows : — Take all the standard works on 

 the subject to be treated of ; transfer the choicest passages to a note- 

 book ; select those which suit you best ; tack them together with as 

 much of your own material as may be absolutely necessary ; sprinkle 

 in a few fragments of poetry (which you may easily pick up along 

 with your other plunder) ; print and pubhsh. The less trouble you 

 take, the better, as you will the sooner be done and get your money : 

 if the book sells, the publisher is satisfied ; and as for the public, your 

 conscience may be perfectly easy, for the matter you appropriate is 

 far better than anything your own brains are capable of furnishing ; so 

 what right has anybody to complain ? The only answer to the last 

 question that we can think of at the moment, is that the authors of 

 the works subjected to this shameless system of robbery may per- 

 liaps be foolishly inclined to think that it would be more to their 

 advantage if the public would read their works in the original form, 

 rather than in pirated extracts ; but this we must leave to their con- 

 sideration. 



