ZOOLOGICAL AND BOTANICAL LITERATURE. 46# 



the latter work we believe only one part has appeared. If we are not mistaken, 

 Mr. Bell has published a large work on Testudinata ; and he is about to under- 

 take the British Reptiles in Van Voorst's zoological series. 



Fishes were at an early period illustrated with considerable success. Wil- 

 lughby's De Historia Piscium Libri Ojuatuor, edited by Cromwell Mortimer, 

 physician (London, 1743, folio), is a valuable book, as are also the following: — 

 Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, par MM. Cuvier et Valenciennes (Paris, 

 1828—33, 9 vols. 4to.) ; Block's Ichthyologie (Berlin, 1785— 95, 12 parts, folio) ; 

 Lacepede's Hist. Nat. des Poissons (Paris, 1798 — 1803, 5 vols., 4to.) ; Ronde- 

 letius De Piscibus Marinis (1554, folio); Nilsson's Prodromus Ichthyologies 

 Scandinavicce (1832, 8vo.) ; Ray's Synopsis Piscium (1713, 8vo.) ; Mrs. Bo w- 

 dich's Fresh-water Fishes of Britain (1828, 4to.). Donovan issued a History of 

 British Fishes, which, however, has been entirely eclipsed and rendered useless 

 by the publication, in 1836, of Mr. Yarrell's work with a similar title (Van 

 Voorst, 2 vols., 8vo.). 



Having thus brought our rapid retrospect of the works relating to vertebrated 

 animals to a close, we may be expected to furnish some account of those dedicated 

 to insects. This, however, we shall do in a very few words, both because that 

 department would require a chapter — nay a volume, aye, and a thick one too — 

 to complete it in a manner satisfactory to ourselves and our readers, and because 

 we have at present neither time nor space to devote to the undertaking. If Mr. 

 Dale, Mr. Rylands, or any other of our entomological readers would furnish a 

 condensed paper on this subject, for The Naturalist, it could not fail to be both 

 interesting and instructive. 



Latreille's Entomology, Stephens's Illustrations of British Entomology, and 

 Newman's Grammar of Entomology, will suffice to impart a very fair knowledge 

 of the subject, if combined with field study. Curtis's British Entomology, illus- 

 trative of the genera, is a truly splendid work ; many volumes are published, and 

 it now rapidly approaches its close. Every one who can afford it should possess 

 a copy of this publication. Mr. Samouelle has written an Entomologist's Use- 

 ful Compendium. Need we add any further commendation of this volume ? 



Lest we should perchance bewilder and alarm the student of Natural History 

 by our retrospect, and the numerous works noticed, rather than encourage him to 

 pursue the course upon which he has entered, and lead him in his selection of 

 literary guides, we purpose concluding the present essay by mentioning a few of 

 the works indispensable to every naturalist. 



For Zoology, then, Cuvier's Regne Animal, or Dr. Shaw's General Zoology, 

 will suffice. In Mammalogy Bell's British Quadrupeds; in Ornithology 

 Latham's General Synopsis of Birds, Wilson, Audubon, or Nuttall's Ameri- 

 can Ornithology, Montagu, Selby, or Yarrell's British Birds; in Erpetopology, 



No.15.Vol.il. 3q 



