BihlioyrapMcal Notices. 543 



with regard to its identity ; but the specimen exhibited was so im- 

 perfect as to leave doubts whether the discovery ought yet to be fully 

 relied on, especially as our botanists have more than once been dis- 

 appointed in this respect. 



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 



A History of Infusoria, living and fossil, arranged according to ' Die 

 InfusionsthiercJien ' of C. G. Ehrenberg ; containing coloured en- 

 gravings illustrative of all the Genera, and Descriptions of all the 

 Species in that work, ivith several new ones. By Andrew Pritchard, 

 author of ' Microscopic Illustrations, &c.' 8vo. 1841. Whittaker 

 and Co. 



Mr. Pritchard informs us in his Preface, that " the translation of 

 ' Die Infusionsthierchen ' was made for him by Dr. Willshire, who 

 also compared his manuscript of Part II. with that work," and on 

 whose authorit}^ he relies for stating that the materials taken there- 

 from are correctly given. " Since Dr. E.'s volume appeared," he adds, 

 " some discoveries in Fossil Infusoria have been made ; these, and the 

 Spermatozoa of plants, unknown in this country, I have introduced. 

 Information derived from other sources is duly acknowledged." 



The work is illustrated by twelve large and well-filled plates*, 

 containing more than 500 finely executed and coloured figures, 

 which must greatly recommend it to the student as well as render 

 it attractive to the general reader. Of the drawings, the author 

 informs us, " Those for plate xii. were kindlj' furnished me by that 

 venerable and distinguished botanist, Dr. Unger of Gratz, and the 

 late eminent microscopic observer, Mr. F. Bauer. Every original 

 drawing has the artist's name mentioned in the description of it, and 

 the others, with few alterations, are from ' Die Infusionsthierchen.' 

 The labour and time occupied in selecting, reducing, arranging and 

 condensing these was far greater than most persons would imagine, 

 and the cost of this undertaking has far exceeded my anticipation ; 

 but should it meet with patronage sufficient to repay the outlay, 

 and my health permit, it is my intention to bring out, on another 

 branch of microscopic science, a work of equal extent to the present, 

 materials for which I have been for some time collecting." 



The ' Natural History of Animalcules ' being out of print, Mr. 

 Pritchard offers the present volume as a preferable substitute for a 

 new edition of that work, in which to introduce the later discoveries. 

 " Dr. Ehrenberg's magnificent and elaborate work, entitled ' Die In- 

 fusionsthierchen,' having since appeared, and offering a better classi- 

 fication than Midler's, it has been adopted here. I have only to regret," 

 he adds, " that its distinguished author, or some more competent na- 

 turalist than myself, has not presented us with an epitome of it." 



" In the description of the families, genera and species, I have 

 not adhered to ' Die Infusionsthierchen,' but only condensed such 



* Of which the one attached to our prc-sent Nuinbor will, except as to 

 colour, serve as a specimen. 



