262 MisceUaneoHs. 



excite the love of nature or the spirit of enquiry than a printed 

 list of the Kinf2:s of England with dates." The introduction, indeed, 

 to this volume forms an admirable dissertation on the teaching of 

 this much-abused subject, and should be carefully studied by all 

 those for whom it is written. The present demand for books on 

 Nature Study has unfortunately produced an abundant crop of 

 most pernicious rubbish, which, strange as it may appear, has 

 been greedily absorbed by those responsible for the education of our 

 children. Professor Miall's book is therefore to be welcomed as an 

 antidote to this poisonous stuff. 



We cannot do more here, by way of indicating the nature of these 

 essays, than particularize one or two. As especially helpful we may 

 mention that on " A School Course on the Structure and Life of 

 Insects." Though short, it is altogether admirable ; and his hints 

 on methods of displaying insect-structures to many people at once 

 will doubtless be gladly adopted. School Museums ; Buttercups — a 

 Study of Species ; Vacation Rambles ; The Summer droop of Boughs ; 

 The Eock-Barnacle ; and The Natural History Excursion, are all 

 essays of real excellence and full of helpful suggestions. 



In short, this is a book which we most cordially recommend — not 

 only to teachers, but to dwellers alike in town and country who 

 have a love of Nature and but little training or practice in the way 

 to observe. 



The illustrations are numerous and good, and the size of the 

 volume is sufficiently small to be carried conveniently as a guide to 

 practical work out of doors. W. P. P. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



Note on the ' Museum Humfredianum,' 1779. 

 By C. Davies Shekborn. 



The rarity of sale-catalogues of the early collections in which 

 zoological specimens were preserved is well-known. After diligent 

 search during the time I was compiling my ' Index Animalium,' one 

 by one fell into my hands, until at last the 'Museum Humfredianum' 

 was the only one to escape me. 



Jklentioned first by Cobres in his ' Deliciae Cobresianae,' 1782, 

 p. 148; then by Fox in his 'Synopsis Newcastle Museum,' 1827, 

 p. 179 ; it was again listed by Engelmann in ' Bibl. Hist. Nat.' 

 1846, p. 11. These, so far as I know, are the only references to 

 the Catalogue, though the Museum itself has been referred to many 

 times (see Murray, ' Museums,' 1904, ii. p. 293 etc.). There is 

 no doubt that Cobres actually saw the tract, for he gives the 

 pagination correctly, although he is in error as to the size ; but it 

 is highly probable that Engelmann copied from Cobres. Fox, too, 



