Bihliograpldcal Notices. 503 



cross-shaped Pugionium cornutum, originally described by Gmelin in 

 the last century, but quite unknown to modern botanists." 



From Ding-hu, where much trouble was experienced from the 

 Chinese officials, the party proceeded into Ala-shan — " a wild and 

 barren desert, inhabited by Oliub Mongols, which forms the southern 

 part of the high plateau of the Gobi." Here, at Din-yuang-ing, a 

 hospitable reception was met with from the ruling Prince, a tribu- 

 tary of the Chinese Empire. After a fortnight's stay in the Ala- 

 shan mountains, and exploration of their fauna and flora, it was 

 decided to return to Pekin in order to obtain fresh supplies of money 

 and necessaries for a new journey. 



In his second volume Colonel Prejevalsky gives us an account of 

 his second expedition from Pekin, in 1872. On this occasion he left 

 Kalgan on March 17th, and returned by the same route to Alashan, 

 where the prince of Alashan and his sons received him with open 

 arms, and were in fact very unwilling to let him go again. After 

 some delay, however, he succeeded in being allowed to join a caravan 

 of Tangutans and Mongols returning from Pekin to the temple of 

 Chobsen, situated in the province of Kan-su, only five days' journey 

 from Lake Koko-nor, and arrived there early in July. After spending 

 several months in making zoological and botanical observations in 

 the hitherto unexplored mountains of Kan-su, another start was made, 

 and the much-desired lake reached on the 25th of October. " The 

 dream of my life," says our author, "was thus accomplished, and 

 the object of the expedition gained." 



"VVe need not foUow our adventurous traveller in his further 

 wanderings. Suffice to say that in a winter journey from Koko-nor 

 he finally penetrated to the banks of the tipper Yang-tse-kiang, 

 only about 27 days' journey (or 500 miles) from Lhassa, where want 

 of funds was the sole obstacle that stopped his further progress. 

 But we strongly recommend every naturalist to read Colonel Preje- 

 valsky's narrative for himself; for a more interesting journal has 

 never come under our perusal. Zoological, botanical, and ethnolo- 

 gical notes respecting these unknown regions ai^e interspersed through- 

 out the volumes, and render them especially attractive to those en- 

 gaged in the study of these sciences. 



Colonel Prejevalsky's third volume, which in the original Pussian 

 gives a complete account of his biological discoveries, does not form 

 a part of the present edition. But we believe this also is being 

 translated by a person fully competent to the task, and wiU shortly 

 be given to the English public in another form. P. L. S. 



TJie Scliool Manual of Geology. By the late J. B. Jpkes, F.E.S. &e. 

 Third Edition, revised and enlarged, by A. J. Jijkes-Beowne, 

 P.G.S. &c. Small 8vo, with numerous illustrations. A. & C. 

 Black : Edinburgh, 1876. 



This is one of the best of the smaller geological manuals ; and the 

 editor keeps it up to the level of advancing knowledge, as far as an 

 elementary work of this kind requires. K^atural operations now 



