BRITAIN. 57 



thalmous Crustacea. (Andrew Murray) List of Coleoptera received from Old 

 Calabar, on the West Coast of Africa. (M. Fabre) Researches on the Develop- 

 ment of the Myriapoda. Bibliographical Notices. Proceedings of Learned 

 Societies. Zoological and Geological Societies. Miscellaneous. (F. Cohn) 

 Observations on the organization and reproduction of the Volvocineae. (Dr. E. 

 K. Kane; List of Phsenogamous Plants collected on the Western Coast of Green- 

 land. (Professor Agassiz) Remarks on young bony Pikes. Meteorological Tables 

 and Observations for December, 1856. 



No. Ill, March. — (Thomas Williams, M.D.) On the Mechanism of Aquatic 

 respiration, and on the structure of the organs of breathing in invertebrated animals; 

 with a plate. (W. H. Benson) Characters of Streptaulus, s» new genus, and of 

 several species of the Cyolostomacea, from Sikkim, the Khasia Hills, Ava, and 

 Pegu. (Andrew Murray) Notice of a marked variety of Patella vulgata (pro- 

 posed to be called var. intermedia), found in Guernsey and Jersey. (W. B. 

 Carpenter, M.D., F.R.S. \ On the structure of the Shell of Rhynchonella Geinitzi- 

 ana. (Dr. C. F. J. Lachman) On the organization of the Infusoria, especially 

 the Vorticellse ; with a plate. (John Nietner, Colombo, Ceylon) Descriptions of 

 new Ceylon Coleoptera. Proceedings of Learned Societies. The Royal and 

 Zoological Societies and Bombay branch of the Royal Asiatic. (Margaret 

 Gatty) New localities for rare plants and zoophytes. (W. Webster) Supposed 

 new British species of Skenea. (P. Ducharte) Influence of moisture upon the 

 Direction of Roots. (James Harlev) Migration of the Starling. (C. Spence 

 Bate) British Amphipoda. (Philip Lutley Sclater, A.M.) Descriptions of some 

 new species of Tanagers. 



The Zoologist. Nos. 171, 172, January; No. 173, February, 1857. 8vo. London : 

 John Van Voorst. Price Is. each. 

 No. 171, January. Birds. — (Murray A. Matthews) Stray Notes from an 

 Ornithologist's Diary during the past Summer. (Lieut. T. Blakiston, R.A.) 

 Birds of the Crimea. (Lieut. L. H. Irby, 90th Light Infantry) List of Birds 

 observed in the Crimea. The whole value of a local list depends upon the care 

 with which it is compiled and on the accuracy of the naming of the species. We 

 have serious fault to find with Lieutenant Irby's List of Birds observed in the 

 Crimea, because we think it deficient in both of these particulars. When we 

 read of Birds recorded as being seen (not shot) by friends of his, we naturally 

 ask what confidence can be placed in such communications, as it requires more 

 practice than we think it likely Lieutenant Irby or his friends possessed to tell 

 one-half the species recorded in this List as once seen, and that, too, when the 

 author confesses towards the close that he does not include a skua-gull and a 

 pelican, because they were only seen, not shot. Why, if this be right how 

 could he identify the great northern diver which " was once seen in the har- 

 bour of Balaklava 1 ' and the guillemot which he " is informed has been once 

 seen?'' We heartily approve of Naturalists using both their own eyes and those 

 of their neighbours as much and as often as they please, but we as heartily 

 disapprove of their furnishing us with long lists of critical species which they, 

 long-sighted creatures, fancy they had seen. It, of course, would not be right 

 to assert that such and such Birds did not inhabit the Crimea, when we find a 

 Naturalist of Lieutenant Irby's pretensions asserting they do. But in one in- 

 stance, and that a conspicuous one, if the Rook (C. frugilegus) occurred only in 

 that rookery which he mentions as being u near Sebastopol, on the road to 

 Alouchta," there would be no evidence of its having occurred in the Crimea 

 at all, as we are credibly assured, that the existence of a rookery in that situation 

 is a complete mistake. (John J. Wilson) Occurrence of the Great Gray Shrike 

 near Leeds. (John Joseph Briggs) The Hooded Crow ; the Black Redstart. 

 (Capt. H. W. Hadfield) Great abundance of the Pied Wagtail, &c. (H. Mat- 

 thews) House Sparrow ; Migration of the Swallow Tribe ; Nidification of the 

 Hedge Sparrow ; Occurrence of the Avocet near Newark. (J F. Brockholes) 

 Double Egg of Young Goose. (H. Stevenson) Beautiful Variety of the Com- 

 mon Woodcock. (J. F. Brockholes) The Teal breeding in Cheshire. (John 



