352 Bibliographical Notices. 



system of Crinoidea. The opinions of several recent writers on the 

 subject are discussed, and reference is made to the remarkable and 

 entire confirmation of the views of Dr. W. B. Carpenter and the 

 author as to the nervous character of the axial cord, afforded by the 

 independent and almost simultaneous observations of Prof. Mar- 

 shall and Dr. Jickeli. Further important morphological deductions, 

 especially bearing on the phylogeny of the axial cords, are added 

 by the author as sequel to the investigations just mentioned. 



This notice would be incomplete if mention were omitted of the 

 splendid plates, sixty-nine in number, illustrating the Report, which, 

 in artistic execution and clearness, leave nothing to be desired. A 

 valuable bibliographical list is added, and the indices are most com- 

 plete, in fact models of what an index ought to be. 



The author is to be congratulated on the completion of a noble 

 monograph, which is destined to rank as a classic in the future ; 

 and naturalists are likewise to be congratulated on the acquisition 

 of an important contribution to knowledge. The Report on the 

 Comatulce, which is in the same able hands, and is, we understand, 

 well advanced, will be awaited with keen interest. 



Guide to the Collection of Fossil Fislies in the Department of Geology 

 and Palceontology, British Museum (Natural History). Printed 

 by Order of the Trustees. 8vo. London : 1885. 

 Guide to the Galleries of Mammalia (Mammalian, Osteologieal, Ceta- 

 cean) in the Department of Zoology of the British Museum (Natural 

 History). Printed by Order of the Trustees. 8vo. London: 1885. 

 In former days, when the collections of the British Museum were 

 all contained in one great establishment in Bloomsbury, the only 

 guide-book the visitor could procure was one to the general con- 

 tents of the building, in which all the departments were noticed 

 in more or less detail. With the transfer of the natural-history 

 departments to their new home in South Kensington this mode of 

 treatment, of course, became impossible, and we are glad to see that 

 the keepers of the departments are taking advantage of the change 

 of conditions to offer to visitors to the museum a series of " Guides " 

 which promisea to occupy a much more important position than 

 could ever have been attained under the old system. The new plan 

 consists in the issue of popular handbooks to the different depart- 

 ments of the collection and to important subdivisions of these de- 

 partments, and it was to a certain extent commenced, if we are not 

 mistaken, even previously to the removal of the natural-history 

 collections, by the production of the ' Guide to the Gould Collection 

 of Humming Birds.' 



The earliest of the departmental guide-books was that to the 

 mineral gallery, " with an introduction to the study of minerals," a 

 most useful little handbook apart from its applicability to the collec- 

 tions of the British Museum. Dr. Woodward has also published a 

 general guide to the collections under his charge, well adapted to 

 give sound general notions upon geological and palreontological 

 matters to those who would otherwise merely gape and wonder 

 at the queer objects exposed for their inspection in the galleries. 



