396 Bibliographical Notices. 



a roll, minute medusiform young, which have been presumed to be 

 the young of some larger and common species ; but our author has 

 never in one instance seen them undergo "the smallest sensible 

 change," " either by organic increment, or the evolution of addi- 

 tional parts. They perished in the precise state wherein they were 

 first recognized," although some specimens survived for sixty days. 

 Sir John adds : " I have not heard that any other naturalist has been 

 more fortunate, — that he has succeeded in preserving those compo- 

 nent portions of the medusan roll under uninterru])ted observation 

 until some farther evolution, alteration, and increment, admitted 

 their identification with adult animals. If this has actually been 

 done, my ignorance of it must plead an apology for protracting the 

 narrative. T have observed it affirmed, it is true, that older and 

 larger Medusae are the adults of the younger and smaller tribe now 

 referred to. But I have not seen any demonstration of the facts, 

 possibly owing to my very limited sphere of information." (p. 242.) 

 In fact the additional observations of Sir John Dalyell make us 

 doubt whether they can ever pass into larger Medusre, any more 

 than the medusiform larvae of the Campaimlaria can do, but rather 

 that it may be they should develope into the hydra-like parent, which 

 produces these Medusae only at uncertain intervals and under un- 

 ascertained conditions. 



Plate 51 contains good figures of Medusa aurita and capillata. 

 Other species named Medusa crinita, proboscidea, a species of Tima, 

 Medusa Jimbriata, Bero'e ovata, B. punctata, B. bilobata, B. pileus, are 

 represented more or less fully in the plates which follow. 



Plate 55 is named Valkeria spinosa, but it has a very peculiar 

 aspect vvhich puzzles us. Plate 56 is entitled " Ascidia," and we 

 presume the species to be ^. mentula described in a former portion 

 of the volume ; which concludes with an interesting chapter on the 

 " Nature of Zoophytes." 



First Steps to Zoology. By Robert Patterson. Simms and 

 M'Intyre. London, 1849. 



This recent addition to our stock of popular books on natural 

 history is an abridgement of Mr. Patterson's more extended work, 

 the ' Zoology for Schools.' Here his object has been merely to 

 furnish the young reader with short notices of the various orders 

 into which naturalists have divided the animal world, and in this he 

 has fully succeeded. No more prominence is given to one portion 

 over the others than from the nature of the subject is almost inevi- 

 table, and we think that the ' First Steps to Zoology ' will be found 

 to convey to the beginner a very fair impression of the extent of the 

 animal kingdom, and of its great leading divisions. 



The book is illustrated with a large number of woodcuts, but 

 either from long wear or from carelessness in working, the present 

 impressions are very inferior. This is a pity, as in all probability a 

 little care would have prevented such an occurrence ; and in the event 

 of a second edition appearing, we hope Mr. Patterson will try whe- 

 ther something cannot be done to improve his book in this respect. 



