CURRENT LITERATURE. 151 



Dall, W. H. — Synopsis of Solenidcc of North America and the Antilles. Proc. 

 U. S. Nat. Mus., 1899, vol. xxii, pp. 107 — 112. 



A very useful synopsis. Solen mexicanus, Eiisis calif ornicus, and Tagelus pocyi 

 are new species. Novaculina gangetica, Bens., iV. (Chinaculum) mollis, Sby., 

 Tagehis gibbus, Speng., and T. (Mcsopleura) divisus, Speng., are rediagnosed. — 



\V. E. C. 



Dall, W. H.— The Mollusk Fauna of the Prihilof Islands. The Fur Seals and 

 Fur-Seal Islands of the N. Pacific Ocean. Washington, 1899, pp. 539 — 546, 

 I map. 



Prof. Dall records 86 forms of marine shells. A Fauna! summary of those of 

 the Pribilof Islands is given, and the range of the various species in Japan, Kam- 

 chatka coast, in the Arctic Ocean, the Aleutian chain, and California. A similar 

 summary of the Commander Islands is added for comparison. — W. E. C. 



Johnstone, J. — Liverpool Marine Biology Committee Memoirs. III. Cardium. 

 8vo., pp. vii-f84, 6 pits, and map. Liverpool : 1899, T. Dobb and Co. 



Mr. Johnstone's monograph is in some respects very good, in others very disap- 

 pointing. In the space of 63 pages he has given a very readable account of the 

 anatomy of Cardium edule, and well illustrated the same. We are disappointed to 

 find so little that is new, while some sections require bringing up to date. Much 

 important literature bearing upon the morphology of the Pelecypoda does not seem 

 to have been consulted, and throughout the work generally there is an absence of 

 modern comparative treatment. 



The description of the "Renal Organ" (p. 41) is poor. It does not seem to 

 have occurred to the author that such terms as "nephridium" and " nephrostome " 

 are preferable to those used, which are certainly not the terms employed "by 

 students of Biology in our laboratories and Marine Stations," for whom it is largely 

 written. 



The Appendix, on the Economy of the Cockle, contains much that is valuable 

 and of interest. — W. E. C. 



MollendOPfT, 0. von. — Binnen-Mollusken aus Westchina und Centralasien. 

 L'Ann. du Mus. Zool. d. I'Acad. Imp. Sci. St. Petersb., 1899, iv, pp. i — 99, 

 pis. ii — viii. 



This interesting and valuable contribution to the Asiatic molluscan fauna 

 enumerates 99 species and 26 sub-species. A large number of these are new and 

 include Anadcnus sinensis, Macrochlamys 2, Xestina i, Kalidla 3, Patula i, 

 Camacna 2, Satsuma i, Pledotropis 3, Stilpnodiscus, nov. gen. 3, Aegista 3, 

 Eulota 6, Euchadra 12, Lacocathaica, nov. gen. 13, C'athaica 20, Flatypetasus 6, 

 Buliminopsis 7, Semibuliminus, nov. sect, i, Stcnogyropsis, nov. sect, i, and 

 Vallonia, i. — W. E. C. 



Herdman, W. A., and Boyee, R. — Lancashire Sea-Fisheries Memoir. No. i. 

 Oysters and Disease. 4to. , pp. 60, pits, i — viii. London: 1899, George 

 Philip and Son. 



The results of an important investigation are here set forth very clearly. The 

 work has been mainly carried out on Ostrea edulis, L., 0. virginica, Gm., and 0. 

 (Gryphcea) angulata, Lam. The structure of the Branchia;, the Protractor Pedis 

 muscle, and Gastric gland (Liver) are carefully described and figured. Green 

 Oysters are then discussed, and the micro-chemistry of the same, together with 

 numerous points chiefly of interest to the pathologist. The whole results are sum- 

 marised in ch. xiv (pp. 53 — 55). 



Professor Herdman and the Lancashire Sea-Fisheries Committee are both to be 

 conciratulated on this, the first of their memoirs on Marine Bioloev. — W. E. C. 



