Bibliographical Notices. 365 



another friend, when my disease took a favourable turn, and I soon 

 recovered sufficient strength to return to the Villa do Peiiedo, where 

 my kind friend the Juiz gave me a most welcome reception. His at- 

 tentions accelerated my amendment, and I soon began to make con- 

 siderable collections in the neighbourhood. In going up the river I 

 had obtained many valuable things, chiefly Leguminosce and Loran- 

 thacece; and on the Ilha San Pedro, where I remained during my illness, 

 there were a great variety of fine Cacti, of which, spite of my great 

 debility, I brought away three large cases. Some of the species attain 

 a height of nearly thirty feet, and have stems three feet in circum- 

 ference. A beautiful Melocactus particularly attracted my attention, 

 and I trust the plants of it that I collected will do well. Many of 

 the Cacti are no doubt new. I only found two species of Orchide<je. 

 The island is chiefly inhabited by civilized Indians. It is my inten- 

 tion to take these collections to Pernambuco and ship them from 

 thence ; and I will at the same time give you a full account of my 

 voyage and the vegetation of the country through which I passed. 

 Since I came back I have visited the city of Alagoas, which is situated 

 on the margin of a large lake, about six leagues from this place. I 

 was much pleased to find there fine specimens of Mayaca fluviatilis 

 (Aublet) and Cahomha aquatica of the same author. 



" Any little information which my friends can communicate respect- 

 ing the progress of science at home will be gratefully received by 

 me. I trust that I may be allowed to receive regularly the numbers 

 of the ' Companion to the Botanical Magazine,' for I assure you that 

 it is really a ' companion to me in this lonely life, where 

 I wander forth alone, and find no kindred eye 

 To gaze with me on the flowery earth and the glory of the sky." 

 [Mr. Gardner's subsequent letters will appear in our next.] 



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 



A Cornish Fauna, being a compendium of the Natural History of the 

 County. Part I. Containing the Vertebrate, Crustacean, and a 

 portion of the Radiate Animals. By Jonathan Couch, F.L.S., &c. 

 8vo. Truro, 1838. 



This is another of those little works which are daily rendering the 

 knowledge of our native Fauna more complete, while at the same time 

 it serves as a guide to the collection belonging to the Scientific In- 

 stitution of the district. Mr. Couch has long been known as an ob- 

 serving naturalist, and as particularly conversant with the ichthyology 

 of the Cornish coasts, and in the short Fauna now before us we have 



