CRITICAL NOTICES OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. 141 



and in a neighbouring valley. It was not in such good preservation, and 

 could not so easily be disengaged from the surrounding rock. Its head was 

 only four feet long, and the total length 12ft. 5in. It was situated at a low- 

 er level than the other, at 1200 feet under the summit of Monte Pulgnasco, 

 and 1400 feet under that of Monte Grogo, the two nearest hills. This has 

 been designated, by the authority last quoted, Balcenn CortesiL — A cetaceous 

 animal of much larger dimensions was discovered, in 1775, in Paris. A wine- 

 merchant, in la Hue Dauphine, while cutting trenches in his cellar, discover- 

 ed a fossil bone of considerable dimensions, in a yellowish and sandy clay, 

 which appears to be the natural soil of the locality. Solicitous to spare the 

 labour necessary for its entire extraction, he broke it, and raised a portion 

 weighing 2 cwt. This attracted the attention of the curious; a cast was taken 

 by Lamanon, and a sketch and description were published in the Journal de 

 Physique for 1781. This cast, with additional sketches, fell into the hands of 

 Cuvier, and he, with that success which attended all his labours in this de- 

 partment, detected it to be a portion of the right temporal bone of a Whale. 

 He compared it with corresponding portions of others, and concluded that 

 the length of its head was about 16 feet, and that the total length of the ani- 

 mal to which it belonged could not be less than 54 feet, without including 

 the tail or lips, which would raise it to about 60 feet. Cuvier, moreover, re- 

 marks, that, although this size agrees with that of the mysticetus, yet the 

 details of the shape, and the comparison of the proportions, indicate decided 

 differences. His conclusion is, that, according to all appearance, this frag- 

 ment belongs to a cetaceous animal of a species which is unknown, even 

 among fossiles." — p. 152. 



We should not omit to mention that the volume contains a por- 

 trait, and a short though interesting memoir of Lacepede_, w^ho, it 

 is well known, was a musician as well as a naturalist. 



Sacred Philosophy of the Seasons ; illustrating the Perfections of 

 God in the Phenomena of the Year. Vol. II. — Spring. By the 

 Rev. Henry Duncan, D.D. Edinburgh : W. Oliphant and Son 

 — London : Hamilton, Adams, & Co. 1837- 



In The Naturalist we noticed the former volume of this interest- 

 ing and instructive work, bestowing upon it the commendations it 

 seemed so richly to merit. The appearance of the present volume 

 fully bears out our favourable anticipations, and as the scope for 

 observation is generally greater in spring than winter, there is 

 greater variety in this than its precursor, while the plan is adhered 

 to with all the fidelity which was requisite. The physical condi- 

 tions of the earth during the vernal months are briefly adverted to, 

 and then the effects of the alterations in them, as manifested by the 

 revival of vegetation, and the assiduity of birds to hatch their brood, 

 are introduced. " The latter part of the volume," states the pre- 

 face, '• is devoted to an exemplification of those adaptations and pro- 

 perties in the soil, and in vegetable substances, which give rise to 

 and reward the labours of the agriculturist, and which thus lay the 

 foundation of civilized society, and afford a stimulus to progressive 

 improvement in the arts and sciences." In the prosecution of this 

 subject many interesting facts, some very recently made known, are 

 adduced, and each is caused to 



