i897. NOTES AND COMMENTS. 157 



of many interesting Entomostraca from Australia, Algeria, New 

 Zealand, and the Cape of Good Hope. While still occupied with the 

 first volume (i 890-1 895) of his " Crustacea of Norway," comprising 

 the Amphipoda, a standard work by itself sufficient to establish a 

 solid reputation, he boldly undertook for the Imperial Academy of 

 Sciences of St. Petersburg another large book on the Crustacea of the 

 Caspian Sea (1893-1896). 



Now is commenced the second volume of the " Crustacea of 

 Norway," the first two parts consisting of 40 pages and 16 plates. 

 These are concerned with the Apseudidae and Tanaidae, and of their 

 value no better indication can be given than the incidental remark of 

 a learned English colleague, who writes, " I have had the first number 

 of Sars' Isopoda, and shall now try to work up the Tanaidae I have on 

 hand." Be it remembered that some of the species are less than a 

 tenth or than a twentieth of an inch long, and then it will be under- 

 stood why even experts gladly wait to see limbs and mouth-organs 

 boldly and clearly figured by Sars before beginning to sort and name 

 their own collections. 



Just to keep up our reputation as destructive critics, we may 

 point out that Professor Sars' keenness of vision for minute details 

 enables or persuades him sometimes to distinguish genera and species 

 which eyes more dim or more careless would willingly have done 

 without. While giving almost everything else that could be desired, 

 he whittles down synonymy nearly to the vanishing point. Doubtless 

 this is owing in part to considerations of space, and in part to a 

 humane desire to leave something, however humble, for others to do. 

 One other feature may, by some of our most constant readers, be 

 thought a more glaring fault than the rest. Those whose palates long 

 for the acid of sharp criticism must go elsewhere than to Sars' writings, 

 for his works will probably be searched in vain for one biting word 

 about his fellow-workers. 



It is highly honourable to the Bergen Museum to have undertaken 

 the responsibility of issuing the " Crustacea of Norway," finding, as 

 its notice says, " that, in the interest of zoological science, the further 

 publication of this most valuable work ought not to be delayed." It 

 is a national work, in the sense of being an honour to the nation 

 which produces it, but Norwegian Crustacea are far from being con- 

 fined to Norway, and, were it otherwise, the treatment of them by 

 Sars would still make his volumes indispensable to every student of 

 the group. This and all the important works of his later years have 

 been given to the world in very satisfactory English. It would be 

 pleasant to know what England has done for him, how many of our 

 learned societies have enrolled him as a foreign member, and, of the 

 millions of men and women here who are enthusiastic over the 

 exploits of his brother-in-law, Nansen, how many individual persons 

 have ever heard the name or given a thought to the labours of the. 

 brilliant and indefatigable naturalist, Georg Ossian Sars. 



