444 Bibliographical Notices. 



refer to the work whose title is placed at the head of this notice, as 

 containing matter of a sterling character, and which gives promise of 

 much that is sound and genuine. "With all his faults, Corda has 

 done a great deal for Mycology, and we should gladly see some one 

 treading in the same footsteps as regards copiousness of illustration, 

 for which a land singularly fertile in mycological productions is most 

 favourable, but avoiding his looseness of synonyms and perplexity as 

 regards everything like system and affinity. There was perhaps some 

 little room for dissatisfaction in the first fasciculus of our author, but 

 if there were just ground for this, we can speak with almost unmixed 

 praise of the second part, which leaves but little to desire, either in 

 point of illustration, or correct appreciation of the requisites of such 

 a publication. As regards the illustrations, we can speak most fa- 

 vourably of their truth and correctness, while every possible pains 

 have been taken to identify the new species with those which have 

 been already published, both in this country and on the continent. 

 We have noticed but one clear case of double emploi in the second 

 fasciculus, viz. that of Myxocyclus conjlueiis, Riess, which is cer- 

 tainly identical with Hendersonia polycystis, Berk. & Br., in Annals 

 of Nat. Hist. vol. v. p. 374, where the gelatinous envelope is even more 

 perfectly described than by Fresenius. That this envelope is not of 

 generic importance is proved by numberless instances in the sporidia 

 of Sphceria and other genera. We would observe also, that it is im- 

 possible to establish genera in Sphceriacce simply by the structure of 

 the sporidia, otherwise species of undoubtedly close affinity will be 

 very widely separated. We suspect that a comparison of specimens 

 would be destructive to one or two more supposed new species, but 

 without absolute inspection we are unwilling to throw out doubts 

 which might prove groundless. 



In the first fasciculus, if we mistake not, Arthrobotrys oligospora is 

 nothing more than Trichothecium roseum correctly observed, Septo- 

 sporium nitens is clearly Macrosporium sarcinula. Berk. Ann. of Nat. 

 Hist. i. p. 261, diaA. Nemas2wra persicina is Cytispora orbicularis, 

 1. c. p. 207, which more properly belongs to the genus Gloeosporium. 



Mistakes however are inevitable in so difficult a subject, even with 

 the best materials and with access to the most perfect libraries, and 

 there is so much really valuable in the work of Dr. Fresenius that it 

 can well afford to have a few errors pointed out. 



A Monograph of the Subclass Cirripedia, with figures of all the spe- 

 cies. The Lepadidse or Pedunculated Cirripedes. By Charles 

 Darwin, F.R.S., F.G.S.* 



It is not without some shame that we confess, that we, who ought 

 to be the heralds and indicators of all good work done in Natural 

 History, should have allowed ourselves to be anticipated in justly ap- 

 preciating the very high merits of Mr. Darwin's Monograph by a 

 body, which we may venture to sa}', with all respect, is not usually 

 complained of for the too great rapidity of its operations — the Royal 



* Ray Society, 1851 (published end of 1852). 



