102 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [March 



In Silliman's Journal for November, 1868, Prof. Marsh shews 

 that the Siredon lichenoides of Baird is the immature form of 

 Amblystoma mavortium of the same author. An interesting 

 account is given of the gradual metamorpLosis of the species, 

 showing its various changes of colour, the absorption of the 

 dorsal and caudal membranes, and finally that of the external 

 brauchioe. The author states that there can be little doubt that 

 this creature breeds in its immature or Siredon state. Dumeril's 

 researches on the Mexican Axolotl seem to prove this ; also that 

 all Siredons are larval Salamanders, a circumstance which Cuvier 

 appears to have suspected. 



Prof Cope's review of the species of Amblystomidoe, a genus 

 of tailed butracbians, from the 4th number of the Proceedings 

 of the Academy of Sciences of Philadelphia for 1868, is a 

 valuable contribution to our knowledge of North American 

 Amphibia. Two species of this genus, so far as we are aware, 

 occur in Lower Canada. The Amblystoma punctatum is the 

 species formerly known as Salamandra subviolacea, and A.. 

 Jeffersonianum is the Canadian form which used to be called by 

 Dekay, Salamandra granulata. 



The seventh volume of the British Museum Descriptive 

 Catalogue of Fishes, by Dr. Grunther, published in 1868, contains 

 some matter of special interest to our local zoologists. Descrip- 

 tions are given of several of the Canadian species of the difl&cult 

 and intricate family of the Cyprinidce, a group which includes 

 the suckers, chubs, minnows, dace, &c. The following species 

 are described from the neighbourhood of Montreal, and examples 

 of each of them were forwarded to Dr. Gunther by the writer of 

 this summary. 



Catastomus teres, Mitchill. 

 Catastomus carpio, Guv. & Val. 

 Hyborhynchus notatus, Agaasiz. 

 Rhinicthys marmoratus, Agasaiz. 

 Leuciscus cornutus, Mitchill. 

 Leucosomus pulchellus, Storer. 



In addition to these Catastomus hudsonius, Lesuer ; Carpiodes 

 cyprinus, Lesuer; and Rhinicthys atronasus, Mitchill; also 

 inhabit the vicinity of Montreal. A little fish common in the 

 St. Lawrence, which used to be referred to the Abramis Smithii 

 of Richardson, is the Hyodon tergisus of Lesuer, and is not a 

 true bream. From various parts of Western Canada the follow- 



