66 Zoological Society : — 



The Handbook of British Ferns. By T. Moore, F.L.S. 

 Third Edition. Loudon, 1857. 



Four years since we noticed at some length the second edition of 

 this excellent book, and it is therefore unnecessary to occupy much 

 space in announcing the publication of this fourth edition, which 

 possesses all the valuable qualities of its predecessor and has been 

 carefully revised throughout. There is very little change in its 

 author's opinion concerning the limits of species or nomenclature. 

 The Athijrium rhceticum is again joined to A.JiUx-foemina. Lastrcea 

 Fce^nsecii takes the name of L. cemnla, from the discovery that it is 

 certainly the Polypodiian cetnuhan of Alton : thus the long contro- 

 versy concerning the proper name of the plant is set at rest in a 

 satisfactory manner. 



But the most marked characteristic of this edition consists in the 

 immense number of forms which are described in it. Most of these 

 have very little interest for the botanist, although collected with 

 avidity by the cultivator. Mr. ISIoore has usually pointed out with 

 care which of the forms are deserving of botanical attention ; never- 

 theless it seems to us that he might well have divided the several 

 species into their true varieties (if we may so call them) and arranged 

 under each the less definite forms. Thus the botanist would have 

 benefited, mthout any injury to the cultivator. 



As in the former editions, much attention is paid to the mode best 

 adapted for the culture of the plants. 



The book is our best work upon British Ferns, and will be useful 

 to all those who take an interest in them. 



PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



July 14, 1857.— Dr. Gray, F.R.S., V.P., in the Chair. 



On Stoastomid.e as a Family, and on Seven proposed 

 New Genera, Sixty-one New Species, and Two New 

 Varieties from Jamaica. By the Hon. Edward Chitty. 



StoastomidcB ! When I first open my cabinet of this Family to 

 the spectator, two observations are generally made. The one, " How 

 minute ! how could you trouble yourself with such specks ! they are 

 not worth seeing, for we cannot see them." Then follows, " Well, 

 they are very wonderful ; but how did you collect them ? " 



To the first observation I answer, " True, they are but specks, and 

 have very much injured my eyesight ; but they are worth seeing 

 under the microscope ; for they are worthy to rank, and must rank, 

 in point of sculpture, with the most wonderfiil and beautiful shells 

 known to conchologists, and most of them are most worthy of a 

 sculptor's or designer's study." Among the Helices, Piipce, Acha- 

 tince, Cylindrellce, Bulimi, &c. there are plenty of minute species 

 almost microscopic, and interesting enough ; but, under the micro- 

 scope, these only improve in size, and no further beauties are un- 

 folded, and little further interest is given to them by its use. The 



