452 THE NATURAL HISTORY" EEYIET/. 



XXXYII.— MlSCELLAl^EA. 



1. Dr. TV. Peters on Cholcepus Jloffmanni. 



A SERIOUS error occurred in the notice of Dr. Peters' recent diS' 

 covery of the abnormal number of the cervical vertebra? in this 

 animal in our last number. Linnaeus, in the last edition of his Systema 

 Natura, associated the "Walrus and the Manatee together in one 

 genus, calling the former Tricliecus rosmarus and the latter TricTiecus 

 manatus. By modern systematists the term Tricliecus is usually re- 

 tained for the Walrus, and the Manatee is called Manatus, after 

 Cuvier. Dr. Peters, however, following what is, perhaps, a more cor- 

 rect usage, calls the Manatee Tricliecus, and uses Illiger's name, " Odo- 

 hoenus,^' for the Walrus. In translating Dr. Peters' note, referred 

 to above, this was unfortunately overlooked, and the Walrus, instead 

 of the Manatee, was stated to have one cervical vertebra less than 

 the ordinary number. 



2. Death of Dr. Thomas B. Wilsoit. 



Our brother naturalists in America have lately sustained a severe 

 loss in the death of Dr. Thomas B. Wilson, of Newark, Delaware, 

 President of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 

 which occurred on the 15th of March last. Although Dr. Wilson 

 never distinguished himself by his writings, he was, as many of our 

 friends are aware, one of the most judicious and liberal patrons of 

 Zoological science that has ever lived. The Museum of the Academy 

 of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, which rivals, and in some points 

 surpasses, those of the principal cities of Europe, was brought to 

 its present condition mainly by the munificent and unparalleled con- 

 tributions of this generous benefactor. Por many years Dr. Wilson 

 was in the habit of making constant visits to Europe, and of pur- 

 chasing, by himself or his agents, all the most rare and costly objects 

 of Natural History that came from time to time into the market. 

 Amongst other acquisitions thus made was the whole of Mr. Gould's 

 collection of Australian birds, containing the originals of the figures 

 given in that naturalist's great work on the Ornithology of Aus- 

 tralia ; Mr. O. Des Mur's unique series of birds-eggs ; and the vast 

 collection of Natural History formed by the late Prince Massena. 

 These and many other similar objects were all purchased by Dr. 

 Wilson, and transferred to the Academy of Natural Sciences of Phila- 

 delphia free of expense. Eurther, the magnificent library attached 



