396 Bibliographical Notices. 
a roll, minute medusiform young, which have been presumed to be 
the young of some larger and common species ; but our author has 
never in one instance seen them undergo “the smallest sensible 
change,” ‘either by organic increment, or the evolution of addi- 
tional parts. They perished in the precise state wherein they were 
first recognized,” although some specimens survived for sixty days. 
Sir John adds: “I have not heard that any other naturalist has been 
more fortunate,—that he! has succeeded in preserving those compo- 
nent portions of the medusan roll under uninterrupted observation 
until some farther evolution, alteration, and increment, admitted 
their identification with adult animals. If this has actually been 
done, my ignorance of it must plead an apology for protracting the 
narrative. I have observed it affirmed, it is true, that older and 
larger Medusze are the adults of the younger and smaller tribe now 
referred to. But I have not seen any demonstration of the facts, 
possibly owing to my very limited sphere of information.” (p. 242.) 
In fact the additional observations of Sir John Dalyell make us 
doubt whether they can ever pass into larger Meduse, any more 
than the medusiform larve of the Campanularia can do, but rather 
that it may be they should develope into the hydra-like parent, which 
produces these Medusz only at uncertain intervals and under un- 
ascertained conditions. 
Plate 51 contains good figures of Medusa aurita and capillata. 
Other species named Medusa crinita, proboscidea, a species of Tima, 
Medusa fimbriata, Beroé ovata, B. punctata, B. bilobata, B. pileus, are 
represented more or less fully in the plates which follow. 
Plate 55 is named Valkeria spinosa, but it has a very peculiar 
aspect which puzzles us. Plate 56 is entitled “ Ascidia,” and we 
presume the species to be A. mentula described in a former portion 
of the volume ; which concludes with an interesting chapter on the 
* Nature of Zoophytes.”’ 
First Steps to Zoology. By Rosert Parrerson. Simms and 
M‘Intyre. London, 1849. 
This recent addition to our stock of popular books on natural 
history is an abridgement of Mr. Patterson’s more extended work, 
the ‘Zoology for Schools.” Here his object has been merely to 
furnish the young reader with short notices of the various orders 
into which naturalists have divided the animal world, and in this he 
has fully succeeded. No more prominence is given to one portion 
over the others than from the nature of the subject is almost inevi- 
table, and we think that the ‘ First Steps to Zoology’ will be found 
to convey to the beginner a very fair impression of the extent of the 
animal kingdom, and of its great leading divisions. 
The book is illustrated with a large number of woodcuts, but 
either from long wear or from carelessness in working, the present 
impressions are very inferior. ‘This is a pity, as in all probability a 
little care would have prevented such an occurrence ; and in the event 
of a second edition appearing, we hope Mr. Patterson will try whe- 
ther something cannot be done to improve his book in this respect. 
prepare here TOBE CATS vhs = 
