Bibliographical Notices. 347 



including the mandibles, and either destitute of maxilla;, or fur- 

 nished with such organs up to three pairs. This arrangement has 

 been rejected by Claus ; and the structure of the mouth in the 

 second group does really appear to be so exceedingly obscure as to 

 render it somewhat problematical. Dr. Brady, however, discusses 

 the question at some length (vol. iii, pp. 27-29), and gives his 

 reasons for adhering to Thorell's classification. The name Sipho- 

 nostoma seems to be unhappily chosen for the third division, as it 

 was applied to a different nearly allied group by Latreille, and 

 adopted by many later writers, including Dr. Baird. Hence its use 

 in the above sense can only lead to confusion. 



Of course much of the increase in the number of species above 

 referred to is due to the minute analysis of characters which has 

 come into vogue within the last twenty or thirty years ; and owing 

 to the same cause the number of genera recognized has been aug- 

 mented to the fullest possible extent. The 151 species described 

 are referred to no fewer than (37 genera ; and, making every allow- 

 ance for the fact that many of these genera undoubtedly include 

 other species not belonging to the British fauna, we may, without 

 criminal scepticism, feel doubtful whether the progress of science is 

 favoured by such minute subdivision. No doubt there are many cases 

 in which genera, and even subfamilies and families, must be founded 

 for the reception of single species ; but the excessive splitting-up 

 of genera and higher groups is the weak point of modern zoology. 

 Analysis is the one thing needful according to the present zoological 

 creed ; and as it is far more easily carried out, or rather can be 

 carried out without the possession of any special fitness for the 

 task, whilst the attempt at a synthetical view of the classification 

 of animals calls for certain natural qualifications which every one 

 does not possess, we maj' expect to see the analytical method in 

 natural history fiourish exceedingly, especially in the hands of the 

 rising generation of school-taught professional naturalists. 



lleturning from this digression, we may say that Dr. Brady's 

 book furnishes evidence in every page of the most careful work. A 

 short outline of the general anatomy and development of the Cope- 

 poda is given by him in his third volume ; and in the introduction 

 to the first he discusses the general classification of the group, con- 

 cluding with excellent tabular synopses of the families and genera, 

 which will prove most useful to the student. The more detailed 

 characters of the various groups and species are evidently drawn 

 up with, the greatest care ; but only the more important synonyms 

 of the latter are given in the case of those old-established species 

 which have necessarily been frequently described by previous 

 authors. The distribution of the species is carefully indicated. 

 The illustrations consist of an immense number of figures of the 

 entire animals and of their cliaracteristic parts, occupying no fewer 

 than 93 plates. These figures, which are nearly all in outline, have 

 been drawn by the author himself, and admirably put on the stones 

 by Mr, HoUick. In fact, both as regards the text and the illus- 

 trations, this is a work of which both the author and the Eay 

 Society may bo justly proud. Although not so showy as soiae 



