Bibliographical Notices. 293 



than one third (490) were new additions, if not to science, at any 

 rate to the Museum." 



Dr. Coppinger introduces the report by a short account of the 

 voyage, the longer account of which in his own vohime is doubtless 

 known to all our readers; he is followed by Mr. Thomas, who 

 describes nine Melanesian skulls, and by Mr. Sharpe, who, of course, 

 gives a careful account of the birds submitted to him. The most 

 interesting and, from a general point of view, the most important 

 portion of Dr. Giinther's contribution is the demonstration that the 

 view held by Sundevall, but rejected by most ichthyologists, that 

 there is more than one species of Am^)hioxus *, is quite correct ; 

 one cannot refrain from noting the grim humour of positive science 

 when we reflect that the battle between Semper and Hiickel as to 

 the mono- or polyphyletic origin of species was largely based on the 

 doctrine that Amphioxus lanceolatus was a cosmopolitan species. 

 Five species are recognized by Dr. Giinther, oneof wliich (BrancJiio- 

 stoma hassanum) is new. 



Mr. Edgar Smith deals with 214 species of Melanesian Mollusca ; 

 it is a subject for regret that he has not drawn on his wide know- 

 ledge of this group, and given us a detailed comparative account of 

 its distribution. 



Prof. Jeffrey Bell reports on 124 Echinoderms from the Melane- 

 sian seas, and directs attention to the value of coloration in the 

 numerous species of the genus Ophiothrix, to which he ascribes less 

 importance than preceding workers ; he returns to the question of 

 the use of formulae, which he illustrates by the Crinoidea, and he 

 insists at some length on the doctrine that the greater part of the 

 fauna common to different parts of the Indo-Pacific Ocean follows 

 isothermal rather than geographical boundaries ; it is clear that he 

 has been brought to this conviction by facts and against some 

 earlier conceptions. The Echinodermata being as a whole of wide 

 distribution, it is very important to know that the great majority 

 of the Crinoids are very closely limited in area ; " for the elucidation 

 of the details of this tropical fauna, we may look with almost more 

 than confidence to the information afforded by the species of Crinoids : 

 here, however, the cabinet naturalist can as yet only appeal to the 

 collector." 



The extent of the British-Museum collections and the great 

 knowledge of the distribution of the higher Crustacea possessed by 

 Mr. Miers are well shown by the report on the Crustacea which is 

 contributed by that naturalist. The Australian student of the 

 Crustacea must carefully study the facts here recorded, as a large 

 number of the species here noted are not described in Mr. Haswell's 

 recent Catalogue. 



Mr. Ridley reports on the Alcyonaria and Sponges ; he enters into 

 the details of the distribution of these forms on different parts of the 

 Australian coast, and summarizes his results in tables so arranged 

 as to afford considerable information at a glance. 



* We must ask pardon for using for tliis Cephalocbordate the name by 

 which it is known to all zoologists except iclithyologist?. 



