278 . Zoological Society : — 1 ."iM 



" though some of them hve in inarme animals, their proper sphere is 

 not the water or the hind, hut the hving tissues of other creatures : 

 they have a world of their own." It must be admitted that these 

 excuses are plausible, but we think by no means satisfactory ; and the 

 omissions in question only add to our regret, that instead of devoting 

 his book exclusively to the marine zoology of these Islands, Mr. 

 Gosse has not given us a manual of British animals, a work which 

 (at least if the Insects were omitted) would have occupied but little 

 more space. 



In the classification adopted there is, of course, nothing new ; but 

 Mr. Gosse has put the ordinary views on this subject into a very 

 simple and intelligible form. The most objectionable point in this 

 respect, the separation of the Cirrhopods from the Crustacea as a 

 distinct class, may perhaps conduce somewhat to this simplicity ; 

 but we cannot agree with Mr. Gosse in " believing that the diversity 

 between the groups is quite as great as that which subsists between 

 the Crustacea and the Arachuida, or between the Arachnida and the 

 Insecta." 



For the explanation of the technical terms, iMr. Gosse has appended 

 a glossary, which is certainly capable of great improvement. Thus, 

 we are told that " Bilateral " means " having a right and a left side ;" 

 that "Capsules" are "bladder-like vessels;" that "Cirri" are 

 " fleshy, unjointed threads ;" that a " Sac " is " a bag ;" and there 

 are several other instances of the same kind, some positively incorrect, 

 others unsatisfactory, and a few trivial and unnecessary. 



Oil the whole, however, it is rarely that we meet with a book con- 

 taining so little to find fault with, and we look forward with pleasure 

 to the appearance of the second part. 



PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



May 9, 1854. — Dr. Gray, Vice-President, in the Chair. 



Description of a New Species of Humming Bird, 

 FROM Quijos. By John Gould, F.R.S. etc. 

 Mr. Gould exhibited a Humming Bird, lately received from Quijos, 

 which is very nearly allied to Threnetes leucurus, but which differs 

 from that species in its larger size, and in having those parts of the 

 tail-feathers of a deep fawn-coloured hue which are white in T. leu- 

 curus; precisely, in fact, the difference which occurs between La- 

 fresnaya Jlavicaudatu and L. Gayi. For this bird Mr. Gould pro- 

 posed the name of 



Threnetes cervinicauda. 



Head, all the upper surface, upper wing-coverts, two central tail- 

 feathers, sides of the neck, breast and flanks shining olive-green ; 

 wings purplish-brown ; lateral tail-feathers deep fawn-colour, stained 



