Bihliocjraphical Notices. 291 



neoc/ceus, a relationship which is attributed to a line of passage for 

 American and Siwalik life through the regions to tho westward of 

 China. Several limb-bones of felines are described and figured, but 

 it has not been found possil)le to refer them with certainty to species, 

 though their general affinities are indicated. Finally llycunodon ia 

 placed as the type of a family in this position. Tliis genus with its 

 allies was placed by Gaudry with the marsupials, by Cope in an 

 order Creodonta, by Huxley they are placed between the Carnivora 

 and Insectivora, and this view is provisionally adopted by the author. 

 Hycenodon is otherwise only known from Europe and North America, 

 first appearing in the Paris basin. The Hi/cenodon indicus is only 

 known from very imperfect materials ; it resembles the H. hon-idus of 

 America in size, and makes a closer approximation to the smaller //. 

 Heherti from Quercy. The part concludes with a bibliography of 

 fossil Carnivora. There are also a preface, contents, and introduc- 

 tory observations, some corrections, and au index to the volume. 

 This monograph is an exceedingly able account of the subject with 

 which it deals, is a great contribution to the history of fossil mam- 

 mals, and honourable in every way to the Indian Survey and to the 

 author. The manner in which the recent and fossil collections in 

 this country have been utilized in elucidating the fossils shows how 

 great were the difficulties of working at such a distance as Calcutta 

 upon such a subject ; but there is happily little iu which to differ 

 from the author, unless it be a slight over-anxiety on his part to turn 

 knowledge to account in extracting conclusions from materials which 

 are not always the most satisfactory. We would suggest, too, that 

 in the matter of geological nomenclature terms like Miocene and 

 Pliocene, which are often indefinite, should be discarded for tho local 

 names of the deposits which are referred to. The plates show a 

 marked improvement on those executed in India, some of them being 

 of the highest merit. We have said nothing of the excellent arrange- 

 ment of the matter, of the clear description and terse style, and full 

 quotation of scientific materials ; but these, too, merit consideration 

 in a work which must bo a standard authority in mammalian palae- 

 ontology. 



Report on the Zoological Collections made in the Indo-Pacijic Ocean 

 during the Voi/age of II. M.S. ' Alert' 1881-82. London : 

 Printed by order of the Trustees [of the British Museum], 1884. 

 8vo, XXV & GS-1 pp., 54 pis. 



When we know that tho handsome volume before us was being 

 prepared during the time of heavy work entailed on the Zoological 

 Department of the British Museum by the removal of the collections 

 from Bloomsbury to South Kensington, we are led to reflect not 

 only on the working-capacities of that stafi^, but on the multifarious 

 duties that fall on those who are entrusted with the care of our 

 National Collections. In addition to the daily labour of receiving 

 and incorporating the new specimens of which the Museum is 



