2C0 Bibliographical Xotices. 



A vast amount of valuable information, both special and general 

 in character, has been collected and published by the State Survey, 

 as exemplihed in this volume ; but it is not yet sufficiently easy to 

 make a complete and definite judgment on the different districts, 

 as to the possible underground water-supply, without the further 

 experience and opinion of experts. 



The Land and Sea Mammals of Middle America and the West Indies. 



By Davij) GiEAUD Elliot, P.E.S.E. &c. Yol. IV. Parts I. & II. 



Zoological Series, Field Columbian Museum. Chicago, U.S A., 



1904". 

 These two bulky parts will prove of inestimable value to mam- 

 malogists, and torm a lasting monument to the credit of the author. 

 The more carefully they are studied, the more one becomes impressed 

 by the amount of labour and research which must have been 

 expended on their production. 



The present work contains a description of all the mammals 

 from the northern boundary of Mexico to the Province of Cauca, 

 S. America, including the islands of the coast, as well as of the 

 Eahamas and the "West Indies. 



A feature of these parts, as compared with that already issued 

 on the mammals noith of the area now dealt with, is the addition 

 of short accounts of the habits of all (he more important species, 

 and many new facts will be found in these statements. 



The author will gain the sympathv of a large number of zoolo- 

 gists in that he has chosen to protest vigorously against the system 

 now in fashion of multijdying species — a system calculated to do an 

 immense deal of harm. With some systematists, in fact, it is carried 

 to the very verge of absurdity. Xames, the author trenchantly 

 remarks, "are useful for the recognition of specimens possessing 

 independent distinctive characters, but if an example has none of 

 these its appellation is of little assistance." And, again, " It is, of 

 course, not to be conceived .... that the mere bestowal of a 

 name upon a specimen would make it recognisable : and that the 

 act of naming examples that are separated from their fellows on 

 account of ... . minute variations cannot be fairly regarded as 

 an 'accurate statement of the results of organic evolution.'" As 

 he points out, " Many specimens have been named whose cranial 

 characters consist altogether in being 'longer or shorter,' ' broader 

 or narrower ' tlian the corresponding parts of some other example, 

 and it is easily comprehended how sliglit is the probability that 

 any specimen can be accurately determined whose characters are 

 such as those given (the colour of the pelage also being nearly the 

 same), no topotypes of the forms with which these are compared 

 by their describer being available, and in many instances no 

 measurements of the crania having been given." The lengths to 

 which some have carried this principle of bestowing names on what 

 are at most individual variations is appalling. Evidence of this can 

 be found in plenty in these volumes. 



Illustrations have been lavishly distributed, and many, especially 

 of the crania, are extremely beautiful. 



