Zoological Society. 165 
at least six-and-twenty years of study of the vegetation of the island. 
The necessity even now of being absent from England during the 
early part of each year is one cause of the small progress made with 
his Flora; but another is the great care and caution exercised in the 
preparation of every part of it. 
This instalment is of less interest to the English botanist than its 
predecessors. It treats chiefly of plants belonging to a southern 
type—Myrtacee, Cucurbitacee, Mesembrianthemacee, Cactacee ; 
and even when the orders are those of plants which inhabit Western 
Europe, the species are usually different, This was not so much the 
case in the former, and apparently will be less so in future Parts. 
The elaborate account of the Cucurbitacee will be read with much 
interest and advantage ; the account of the Cacti also is valuable. 
But it is impossible to open the book without seeing proofs of the 
accuracy and care of its author. 
There are not many new species introduced; for most of those 
found by Mr. Lowe were already described in his ‘ Primitiz et 
Novitize ;? but in several instances he now furnishes valuable addi- 
tional information concerning them: as an example, let the reader 
turn to the revised and amplified account of the magnificent Monizia 
edulis (pp. 365, 366). 
Happily in this case we can dispense with the recognized privilege 
of reviewers, and make only one complaint,—viz. againt the very 
slow rate of publication. We fear that this delay in the issue of the 
Parts is unavoidable; for Mr. Lowe has now again started for a 
southern climate. 
We sincerely hope that our recommendation of this book will lead 
an extensive sale. No student of the botany of South-western, or 
even Western, Europe ought to be without it. 
PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. 
ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
May 26th, 1863.—Dr. J. E. Gray, F.R.S., in the Chair. 
On THE SPECIES OF THE GENUS STERNOTHZERUS, WITH SOME 
OBSERVATIONS ON Kinixys. By Dr. J. E. Gray, F.R.S., etc. 
The shell or thorax of the Sternotheri offer such different appear- 
ances, according to the age or other special conditions under which 
they have lived, that it is almost impossible to distinguish them ; 
and the more specimens are received, the greater becomes the diffi- 
culty. Under these circumstances, as the heads seem to present 
some characters which, as far as I have been able to observe them 
in the limited number of specimens which come under my exami- 
nation, seem permanent, I have attempted to define the peculiari- 
ties presented by the heads of the specimens in the Museum Col- 
lection from different localities. The species were so difficult to 
distinguish by means of the shell only, that, in my ‘ Catalogue of 
