466 THE NATUEAL HISTORY REVIEW. 



tliere can be but one opinion. The labours of Von Middendorf, 

 Von Sclirenk, Kadde, and tlieir associates in their several expe- 

 ditions, have resulted in giving us a very complete knowledge of what 

 was previously one of the least known portions of the Eastern hemis- 

 phere as regards its natural products. This knowledge will be 

 particularly acceptable to those engaged in the study of the Eauna 

 and Flora of Europe, as the area referred to forms part of the same 

 great natural division of the Old W^orld, to which our islands and the 

 rest of the so-called continent of Europe belongs. "Without this 

 knowledge, therefore, the perfect elaboration of the Eauna and Elora 

 of Europe would not be possible. But the feelings of satisfaction 

 with which we regard the operations of our Eussian fellow-labourers 

 must not blind us to the defects of their work, which are perhaps 

 more apparent in the present volume than in any of those which have 

 preceded it. These, we believe, are mainly due to the short-comings 

 of the Imperial Museum of Natural History at St. Petersburg. 

 Eich as that celebrated collection is in all the natural products of the 

 vast empire of Eussia, it would seem to be very poor as regards 

 zoological specimens from the adjoining parts of Asia and other 

 countries of the Old "World. This has rendered it necessary 

 to attempt the identification of many of the newly-discovered 

 species of Eastern Asia by reference solely to figures and descrip- 

 tions, which, as all naturalists know in the case of nearly allied 

 species, are frequently by no means a sufficient guide. Had Herr 

 Eadde enjoyed access to a well-determined series of specimens of 

 the Birds of China, India, and Australia, we are sure that he 

 would not have committed so many errors in identification. As 

 regards his practice of treating well-marked geographical forms as 

 varieties instead of species, we have little reason to complain, inas- 

 much as the diiferences are usually clearly pointed out, and it matters 

 little, therefore, under which category they are ranged — indeed, 

 where intermediate forms occur there can be no question that this is 

 the right course to pursue. 



We cannot close this notice without recording our thanks to the 

 Eussian Government for the enlightened patronage bestowed upon 

 this as upon several former valuable contributions to Natural Science, 

 of which we have already spoken in this journal. When we consider 

 the many important scientific works that have been carried on of late 

 years under the patronage of the much vilified Governments of 

 Eussia and America, it is certainly humihating to consider how little 

 is to be obtained from our own "enlightened" authorities when such 

 objects are in view, and how diflicult it is to obtain that little. 



