iS97. SOME NEW BOOKS. 207 



account we do not gather that any other aquarium than that of 

 Brighton condescends to the Music Hall entertainment combination. 



Meinorias de la Sociedad Antonio Alzate, vol. ix., nos. 9 and 10, 

 contains papers by Dr. A. Duges on the foot of monkeys and the 

 skeletons of the bird and the tortoise, and one by Dr. R. E. Cicero 

 on the medical habits and knowledge of animals. 



Readers of Dr. Axel Ohlin's paper. " A Zoologist in Tierra 

 del Fuego " (Nat. Sol, Sept., 1896) should be interested in an 

 account of recent explorations in the Patagonian Andes, 41° S. lat., 

 by Dr. Hans Steffen, in the Scottish Geographical Magazine, Feb., 1897. 



Additional information concerning the huge octopus that we 

 alluded to in our February number, p. 130, is given by Mr. A. E. 

 Verrill in the February number of the American Journal of Science. It 

 is a true octopus, with a body 21 feet long, and almost 7 feet wide. 

 A stump of an arm still attached reaches the length of 36 feet, and 

 was 10 inches in diameter where it was broken off distally. The parts 

 cast ashore probably weigh at least six tons, and the total mass, 

 when living, was probably twice that weight. The drawings of it will 

 be published in the American Naturalist. Mr. Verrill names it Octopus 

 giganteiis, but considers that it may be allied to Civvoteuthis. To this 

 number Mr. Verrill also contributes an interesting note on nocturnal 

 and diurnal changes in the colours of certain fishes and of the squid 

 (Loligo), with notes on their sleeping habits. The nocturnal colours 

 are obviously protective, and the positions assumed by the fish while 

 sleeping are often quaint and unexpected. In another note Mr. Verrill 

 considers that the nocturnal coloration of various animals has been 

 selected on account of its protective value. This number also begins 

 the long-looked-for outline of a natural classification of the Trilobita, 

 by Dr. C. E. Beecher. 



In the Geological Magazine for February, Dr. J. W. Gregory dis- 

 cusses the fossils on which Dr. H. Hicks recently based his claim that 

 the Morte Slates of North Devon were of Silurian age. He concludes, 

 from examination of the specimens, that they belong not to the 

 Silurian genera, to which the President of the Geological Society 

 assigned them, but to characteristic Devonian genera. Whoever may 

 ultimately prove right, it is clear that such obscure material as has 

 hitherto been the sole reward of Dr. Hicks' laudable perseverance is 

 not enough to warrant a re-arrangement of the stratigraphy. 



Further Literature Received. 



Hemiptera-Homoptera of the British Isles, J. Edwards : Reeve. Manual of Flowering Plants 

 and Ferns, J. C. Willis : Cambridge Univ. Press. Handbook to Lepidoptera, W. F. Kirby : Allen. 

 Catalogus Mammalium, E. L. Trouessart : Friedlander. Life-Histories of North American Birds, 

 C. Bendire : Smithsonian Inst. New Catalogue of British Literature: Library Bureau. Beitrage 

 zur Kenntnisder Septalncctarien, J. Schnievvind-Thies ; Das Botanische Practicum, E. Strasburger; 

 F'ortpflanzung der Gevvachse, M. Mobius ; Kainogenesis, E. Mehnert ; Zeit- und Streit-fragen der 

 Biologie, O. Hertwig: Jena, Fischer. Madreporarian Types of Corals, M. M. Ogilvie : Royal Society. 

 La Machoire des Insectes, J. Chatin : Bailliere. 



On Mechanical Selection, K. Jordan: Novitates Zoologicce. Cat. Botanical Works, xvi. ; Dulau. 

 On Funifuti Atoll, C. Hedley : Mem. Aust. Mus. loth Report Liverpool Mar. Biol. Com,, Herdman. 

 Report Trawling Expedition, A. Meek : North Sea Fish Com. 15th Ann. Rep. Geol. Surv. U.S., 

 J.W.Powell. Dog Muzzling, M.Thornhill : Human. League. Report Glasgow meeting, 1896: Mus. 

 Assoc. Sixth Rep. Horniman Mus. Monog. Australian Marsipobranchii, J. D. Ogilby : Proc. Linn. 

 Soc.N.S.W. Article " Biologie," H. de Varigny : Diet. Physiol. Aarbog, 1896: Bergen Mus. Genera 

 and Species of N. Amer. Mosses, C. R. Barnes: Bull. Univ. Wisconsin. Closing Tow-net, C. H. 

 Townsend: U. S. Fish Comm. Minn. Bot. Studies, Bull. IX., Geol. & Bot. Surv. Minn. 



Nature, Tan. 21, 28, Feb. 4 ir. Nature Notes, Feb. Science Gossip, Feb. Naturalist, Feb. 

 Westminster Review, Feb. Review of Reviews, Jan., Feb. Knowledge, Feb. Photogram, Feb. 

 Oxford Univ. Jr. Sci. Club Journ., No. 46. Irish Naturalist, Feb. Scott. Geogr. Magazine, Feb. 

 Victorian Naturalist, Dec. RevueScientifique, Jan.23,30, Feb. 6, 13, 20. Feuilledesjeunes Natural is tes, 

 Feb. Naturae Novitates, Jan. (i & 2). Literary Digest, Jan. 16. 23, 30, Feb. 6. Amer. Journ. Science, 

 Feb. Science, Jan. 15, 22, 29, Feb. 5. Amer. Nat., Jan., Feb. Botanical Gazette. Jan. Illinois 

 Wesleyan Mag., Dec. Scientific American, Jan. 23, 30, Feb. 6. La Naturaleza, viii.. No. 1-4. Journ. 

 Essex Tech. Lab., Nov. -Dec. Hobbies. Jan. 30. Osprey, Jan. Magazin Pittoresque, Jan. 15. 

 Humanity, Feb. Bull. Inst. Bibliogr. i8g6, 6 bis, and 1897, i & 2. Amer. Geol., Feb. 



