516 Bibliographical Notices. 



evidently the spore-like, globose cell in its nascent state, or in 

 progress of evolution. 



Bristol, Dighton Street, Oct. 3, 1857. 



Note. — Mr. Berkeley writes me : — " I believe in the end both it and the 

 Sarcina of the stomach will prove the incunabula of Moulds." I scarcely 

 venture to dissent from such an authority, yet there is as great difficulty 

 a priori in thinking Sarcina to be an Alga, altered in development and its 

 autonomous state masked by growing in an unusual or unnatural habitat, 

 than that a similar condition affecting the growth of a mould should cause 

 it to assume the character of Sarcina. Mr. Berkeley, comparing the bone 

 Sarcina with his mounted specimens of S. Ventriculi, makes both pretty 

 nearly correspond in size. Specimens, however, of S. Ventriculi in the 

 collection of Mr. Stoddart of this city, to whom I am indebted for the 

 measurements of the bone-plant, are fully four times the size of the latter. 

 It appears, then, that S. Ventriculi varies very greatly in size ; yet Mr. 

 Stoddart, for an entire year, made careful daily measurements of the 

 granules of S. Ventriculi from the ejectments of a patient, and found them 

 invariably of the same size. 



As the real nature and affinities of the genus Sarcina are as yet doubtful, 

 the two known species may be provisionally thus characterized : — 



S. Ventriculi (Goodsir). Granulis opacis, fusco-olivaceis. 



Habitat in ventriculo hominis praesertim. 

 S. ossium (mihi). Granulis pellucidis. 



Habitat in ossibus bovinis ustis ex Brasilia. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE XII. 



a, a, a. Portions of bone with Cryptogams. 



b, b. Cells of Sarcina ossium, more or less magnified. 



c,c. Gelatinous matter (of frond?) and granules or cells of Sarcina 

 ossium, treated with sulpho-iodine. 



d. Alga, with filamentous Fungus magnified. 



e, e, e. Threads and spore-like cells of ditto. 



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 



A Manual Flora of Madeira and the adjacent Islands of Porto Santo 

 and the Bezertas. By R. T. Lowe, M.A. Part I. Thalamiflorse. 

 12mo. London, Van Voorst, 1857. 



The residence of so eminent a naturalist as Mr. Lowe in Madeira 

 during twenty-six years has afforded ample time and opportunity 

 for the acquisition of an accurate knowledge of its vegetation ; and 

 botanists have long looked to him for a good Flora of the island. 

 He was well known to be devoting his leisure time, since his return 

 to England, to the preparation of such a work. Unfortunately a bad 

 state of health has again rendered a temporary removal to a warmer 

 climate necessary. He has therefore published so much of this 

 work as could be prepared for the press and printed before his de- 

 parture. An examination of this portion of the work, extending to 

 106 pages, renders us only the more desirous that he may soon be 

 enabled to return home and complete the remainder of the book. 

 |n this part we are given short, but sufficiently full characters of all 



