274 SOUTH AFRICAN ZOOLOGY. 



book for teachers and students in South Africa, and, in harmony 

 with this idea, the author has replaced the European types, 

 usually described in similar works, by the South African types 

 {e.g., the crawfish) prescribed for the first B.Sc. examination in 

 Agriculture by the Cape University. In other respects, too, 

 particular reference is made to the more familiar forms of South 

 African fauna, and, apart from its special function as a text- 

 book, the South African agriculturist will find in the publication 

 much that is of very real and practical interest in regard to the 

 life histories of such farm pests as the locust, phylloxera, cod- 

 ling moth, and various ticks. In a general zoological text-book 

 much must of necessity appertain to the science as a whole, 

 independent of geographical limits, but the author's plan has 

 been, wherever possible, to exemplify phases of his subject 

 requiring illustraticn from genera and species occurring in 

 South Africa, and thus a specially South African character has 

 been imparted to the book. Definite instances of this are met 

 with in respect of each of the ten main subdivisions of the 

 animal kingdom. Thus, amongst the protozoa the African try- 

 panosomes referred to possess a particular local interest, nor are 

 the species of Pirq plasma mentioned of any less moment to the 

 dwellers in this land. Amongst the coelenterata reference will 

 be found to the Hvdra common in South African vleis, and also 

 to the Alcyonaria, whence the red " zee tak " originates. Of the 

 sponges, the South African fresh-water sponge Ephydatia 

 fluriatilis var. capcnsis forms a suitable illustration. Then there 

 are the flat worms, of which the liver fluke (Disfomum hepati- 

 cHin) is taken as an illustrative type, and its life history is 

 detailed. After these round worms are dealt with, and here 

 again South Africa affords a fitting example in the pest, so 

 common among sheep, Strongylus contortus, or wire worm. 

 Other South African strongyles are also referred to in briefer 

 terms. The well-known vinegar eel and the potato eel worm 

 belong to other families of the same class frequent in South 

 Africa. The ordmarv earth worm illustrates the next sub- 

 division, which comprises the annelida, a phylum wherein is 

 also included the Cape leech (Hirudo capcnsis) found on the 

 Cape Flats. The next class, arthropods, introduces animals 

 with definite jomtcd limbs, and here a good deal of attention 

 is given to the Cape crawfish. In addition, numerous other 

 South African Crustacea, such as the blue prawn and the fresh- 

 water crab, aid in illustrating the subdivision, which also includes 

 the gardener's wire worm and the centipedes. Numerous insects 

 characteristic of South Africa are mentioned in Class IV of 

 this phylum. Here we find mantidre and stick insects — such as 

 the Bacillus stcllcvboschns— while South African locusts and 

 grasshoppers, as well as termites, ants, bees and wasps, are 

 given no larger share of attention than circumstances warrant. 

 Incidental reference is made to the Blastophaga, successfully 

 introduced into this country by Mr. C. P. Lounsbury, Chief 



