394 BibliograpMcal Notice. 



of tlieir book. Coucerniiig the origin of the geographical regions, 

 they have mainly adopted the views of the senior author, originally 

 based, as all students of chorology are aware, on the study of the 

 avifauna, and this, it seems to us, with an insufficient recognition 

 of some of the more special features in mammalian distribution. 

 Dealing with the difficult question of the delimitation of the Austra- 

 lian from the Oriental llegion, they, with full justification, relegate 

 the Celebes to the latter, drawing their Wallace's line between Bali 

 and Lombok, The reader turns with disappointment from their 

 comprehensive treatment of this vexed topic to that of others, which 

 he finds dismissed in far too summary and one-sided a manner, as, 

 for example, the origin of the Galapagos Islands, the argumeut for 

 the contiueutal nature of which is not discussed. Nor is the book 

 free of contradiction in its leading theses, as with the assertion 

 (p. 217) that " the principal masses of land and water are not of 

 modern origin, but have existed mainly in their present shapes 

 throughout all ages," which is not consistent with statements occur- 

 ring in other parts of the book. Greater regard for paloeoiitology 

 would have necessitated profound modification in many of the con- 

 clusions to which the authors have arrived, and we can only regret 

 that important facts of which this may be said to be true have been 

 imrecognized. 



The authors wisely introduce here and there facts of anatomy and 

 physiology which are strikingly exceptional — to wit, the allusion to 

 the shedding of the horn by the prongbuck. If this, however, why 

 not a mention of the narial prolongations, habits, and alleged vege- 

 table contents of the stomach of the Delphinid Sotalia Teiiszii'? the 

 existence of which genus in African rivers, by-the-bye, is entirely 

 overlooked. We are glad to note the allusion to Momerolcu/xs and 

 certain other receutl}' described forms of importance, and hail with 

 satisfaction the non-acceptance of the proposal to substitute Procavia 

 for J/i/rad\ Odobcenus for Trichechus. We would remark, however, 

 that Otocyon is not a dog, and that throughout the book there is a 

 lack of uniformity in the usage of family and generic names and, in 

 places, of agreement as to leading assertions. This is the more 

 remarkable since the articles which so largely compose the work, 

 having been subjected to " slight alterations," ought to have been 

 correlated, and since the authors acknowledge the services of two 

 assistants who are supposed to have read the proofs. 



The imprimatur of the senior author will alone ensure the popu- 

 larity of the work. It contains a mass of really useful material 

 compiled at immense pains ; and if the authors will give us a new 

 edition, thoroughly revised in its typographical detail and choice of 

 names, more extensively pahcontological, better up to date, and less 

 biassed in the treatment of its broader topics and chief generaliza- 

 tions, thev will perform a lasting service to the student of animal 

 life. 



