5S Zoological Society. 



of the book is that contauiing an account of his two visits to the Rio 

 Uaupcs, which is inhabited solely by tribes of Indians in their na- 

 tural state, not at all altered and deteriorated by contact with the 

 unprincipled white residents on the banks of the neighbouring rivers. 

 Mr. Wallace collected quite a museum of the productions of the Indian 

 tribes, but, most unfortunately, lost them all, together with the spe- 

 cimens of natural history obtained during the latter two years of his 

 stay in that country, his journals for that period and numerous 

 sketches, by the burning of the ship on his homeward voyage. The 

 results which we have before us cause us the more to lament this 

 misfortune. We hope that when he fulfils the desire expressed in 

 his preface, of " again visiting the wild and luxuriant scenery and 

 the sparkling life of the tropics," he may be again successful, but 

 escape the concluding misfortune of his former journey. The author 

 proposed to pay the expenses of his journey by making collections in 

 natural history, and was enabled to do so, notwithstanding the de- 

 plorable loss which we have mentioned. 



At the conclusion of the narrative there are four chapters on the 

 natural history of the country and on the Indian tribes, which, had 

 he saved all his materials, were intended to form part of a separate 

 work on the Physical History of the Amazon. They well deserve 

 careful perusal, and lead us to hope that, should Mr. Wallace fulfil 

 his desire of revisiting the country, we may at a future time have 

 such a work from his pen. 



At the end of the volume are some valuable remarks by Dr. R. G. 

 Latham on the vocabularies of Amazonian languages collected m the 

 course of this journey. 



Preparing for Publication. 



The Aquarium : a Biography of Marine Animals. With coloured 



Plates. 



Mr. P. H. Gosse is preparing for the press a work under the above 

 title, which will contain many interesting particulars of the instincts 

 and manners of various marine animals (hitherto little kuovra) as 

 observed in captivity. These will be preceded by a brief sketch of 

 the history of the Marine Aquarium, and instructions for its use. 



PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



July 22, 18.51.— John Edward Gray, Esq., F.R.S. &c., Vice- 

 President, in the Chair. 



Description of a new form of Lamprey from Austra- 

 lia, WITH A Synopsis of the Family. 

 By J. E. Gray, Esq., F.R.S., V.P.Z.S. etc. 



The Lamprey which I have now to present to the attention of the 

 Society differs in so remarkable a degree from any other known spe- 

 cies, that, premising that I propose for it the name of Geotria Austra- 



