222 Biblioyraphical Notices. 



racters which would tend still further to render its isolation 

 desirable. It may be known from the other Madeiran Tricho- 

 pterygid<B by, inter alia, its excessively diminutive size, and the 

 form of its prothorax, — which has its sides greatly (and equally) 

 rounded, and its hinder angles obtuse and not at all produced. 

 There can be no doubt that it is identical with the European 

 T. abhreviatella, though my jMadeiran specimens are perhaps a 

 trifle darker than British ones in my possession. They were 

 detected abundantly by Mr. Bewicke and myself, in December 

 1858, amongst dead leaves and vegetable refuse, in his garden 

 at the Palmeira— and also, subsequently, beneath decaying 

 bundles of the sugar-cane at the Praia Formosa— near Funchal. 

 And a single example was captured at S. Antonio da Serra, by 

 Mr. Bewicke, during the sunnner of 1859. 

 [To be continued.] 



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 



A Guide to the Quadrupeds and Reptiles of Europe; with Descrip- 

 tions of all the Species : compiled from the Latest Writers. By 

 Lord Clermont. London : John Van Voorst, 1859. Post 8vo. 



It is now, we believe, generally admitted that the British Islands 

 possess no peculiar ind^igens belonging to the Animal or Vegetable 

 Kingdoms. Instances there are, cei-tainly (such as Spiranthes gem- 

 mipara among Flowering-Plants, and Tetrao scoticus among Birds), 

 of species not at present known to occur elsewhere; but when the 

 fauna of Eurojie has been thoroughly investigated, these and similar 

 exceptions will in all probability be found to be more satisfactorily 

 classed as localized varieties of more widely distributed species. Such 

 being the cas;', it seems ()i)vious that we can hardly arrive at a per- 

 fect knowledge of the British Fauna and Flora without studying the 

 Fauna and Flora of the larger area in which it is comprised. A 

 general acquaintance with the whole is necessary to a particular 

 knowledge of the part. It is for this reason that we receive with 

 pleasure every attenq)t (such as that made by Lord Clermont in the 

 present work) to enlarge the much too generally restricted range of 

 the views of the 'British Naturalist,' and to induce him to pay some 

 attention to the objects found in other portions of Euroj)e, instead of 

 confining himself entirely to such as iiappen to occur in the little 

 corner of it which bis nation occupies. " Philosophits non haJtet 

 patriam" is a maxim which the English student of nature seems 

 to be esi)eeially prone to forget. Numerous as are the works which 

 have been piiblisbed in this country uj)on the Mammals, Birds, 

 Reptiles, and Fishes of Great Britain', we are not aware of a single 

 book written in the English language upon the Vertebrates of Eurojte 

 generally, or any section of them. Our authorities on European 



