COMMON OBJECTS OF THE SEA SHORE. 103 



species which he himself goes on to say is rare on British coasts, and has 

 not yet been taken in a living state. The aquarium is not, we submit, 

 to be used as a receptacle for dead animals. Typographical (?) errors 

 frequently occur, such as Luida for Luidia, Arachnitis for Arachnactis, 

 Chrysoaria for Chrysaora, Acephala for Acalephas, &c, &c. In many 

 cases the headings of the chapters and sections do not correspond with the 

 contents of the latter. 



The figures, with one or two exceptions, are good, and constitute the 

 only redeeming feature about this otherwise good-for-nothing book. It is 

 not improbable that this work will meet with a better circulation than it 

 deserves, owing to its introduction among the hitherto excellent series of 

 popular Natural History works which Mr. Lovell Eeeve has published. 

 We make this observation, lest our readers, upon discovering the faults of 

 Mr. Sowerby's volume, might take it for granted that other works, pub- 

 lished in the same series and wearing externally the same appearance, are 

 intrinsically of the same inferior quality. This, we are happy to say, is not 

 the case. 



"The Common Objects of the Sea Shore," by the Rev. J. G. 

 Wood, M.A., F.L.S., is provided with engravings of Mr. Sowerby's 

 execution. Mr. Wood had, however, sufficient good sense not * to 

 let Mr. Sowerby meddle with the text, and we may easily suppose 

 that the work which he has produced is, on the whole, superior to 

 that written by his accomplished draughtsman. Indeed, he does not 

 scruple to differ with Mr. Sowerby on certain points — thus, at page 

 51, he alludes to " those strange amphibious humanities who persist 

 in declaring that the hermit crab was the young of the common edible 

 crab, etc." This is a sad hit at Mr. Sowerby's peculiar views concerning 

 the true nature of that crustacean. Mr. Wood proposes to describe the 

 common objects of the sea shore only ; nevertheless, he selects, as an ex- 

 ample of a pulmonigrade acaleph, what he calls Egeria. We take it for 

 granted that the ^Equorea is here meant, a genus so rare on the British 

 shores that Professor Forbes met with no species of it until after he had 

 published his monograph on the naked eyed Medusae. The following 

 lucid directions for the capture of the Acalephaa are given : — " If a vessel is 

 filled with water, drawn from the surface of the sea on a calm day, there 

 are generally a few Medusas in it ; but if there should be none, a little work 

 with a gauze net will secure plenty," We would recommend Mr. Wood 

 to procure Professor Forbes' monograph, from which he will derive much 

 useful information. 





