OUTLINES OF PERIODICAL LITERATURE. 353 
ing the principal features of the animal’s osteological peculiarities. Mr. 
Bibron made observations upon two species of Triton—the cristatus and mar- 
moratus—which are indigenous to this country. Under the appellation of 
Macropus rufiventer, Mr. Ogilby exhibited a specimen of the Tasmanian 
wallabee, a new species of kangaroo, whose specific characters he enumerated. 
Mr. Waterhouse showed a drawing, and the tail and jaws, of a new species 
of Delphinus, which he called the D. fitzroyi, adding a description, admea- 
surements, habitate of the fish, and a few explanatory remarks. Two species 
of the Ptilotis were produced by Mr. Gould, and he characterized them as 
the P. ornata and P. flavigula, with notes of their habitates. In a letter, Mr. 
Van der Hoeven expressed his belief that the large salamander preserved 
in a living state at Leyden, ought to be regarded as a species of Menopsoma, 
instead of which he proposes to adopt the generic term Cryptobranchus and 
the specific name japonicus. On this opinion, Mr. Owen offered very perti- 
nent observations, and then Mr. Ogilby displayed a drawing of a Marsupian 
from the interior of New South Wales, which he was induced to suspect 
might become the type of a new genus: he proposed to name it Chzeropus 
provisionally, with allusion to the characters of its fore feet. At the ‘‘ Bota- 
nical,” a communication of Mr. Schomburgk’s was read on the Bertholletia 
excelsa, accompanied with drawings of the plant in different stages of its 
growth : a peculiarity in its seed-vessel was noticed by Mr. Gray, and his 
remark led to some discussion. Mr. Cooper contributed notes on a large va- 
riety of the Ranunculus jlammula, and he then related the particulars of the 
society's first botanical excursion: to the next meeting, he communicated 
observations on a new principle of Fencing according to the laws of vegeta- 
ble physiology : his plan consists in planting trees of the same kind and causing 
them to unite by the process of grafting by approach or inarching, and thus 
to form a natural living fence. The Miscellanies include Sketches entituled 
—Cardamine sylvatica, a British plant ; the Gypaétos hemachlanus, ‘a dis- 
tinct species, new to science,” and a habitant of the Himalayan mountaizs ; 
the Nasturtium anceps; the action of free carbonic acid on the nutrition of 
plants ; hybridity of ferns ; affinities of the Ceratophyllaceous vegetables ; 
litter of the Hyzena vulgaris, and the time of gestation; the Myrmecobius 
fasciatus, an insectivorous animal, referred as a new genus to the monodel- 
phian mammiferous tribe ; caoutchouc in the Apoqueal, Asclepiadeal, Campa- 
nulaceous, Sobeliaceous, Chicoraceous, Euphorbiaceous, and other orders of 
plants ; death of Mr. Frederic Cuvier ; meteorological observations. 
The London and Edinburgh Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science ; 
conducted by Sir David Brewster, F.R.S. Richard Taylor, F.G.S. and 
Richard Phillips, F.R.S. 8vo, London, 1838. 
OcrosEer.—Mr. Draper’s remarks on the constitution of the atmosphere, 
form a long, experimental, and important article, with illustrative diagrams. 
Notes on shooting stars, by M. Quetelet of Brussels and Dr. Robinson of 
Armagh, present some interesting particulars. Dr. Schoenbein’s conjectural 
observations on the cause of the peculiar condition of iron, are ingenious, and 
merit the consideration of chemical experimentalists; and the same may 
VOL. IX., NO. XXVI. 45 
