248 Jualylical Notices of Books. 



Art. XXXI. Analytical Notices of Book 



Xoological Researches and Illustrations; or Natural History 

 of nondescript or imperfectly known Animals, in a series of 

 3Iemoirs, ^c. By John V. Thompson, Esfjf., F.L.S., Sfc. 

 Cork, 1828. No. I. pp. 36, plates iv. 



The non-existence among the Crustacea of a metamophosis analogous to 

 that of insects, has been regarded as so incontestable, that many writers 

 of the highest eminence have employed it as part of the character which 

 they have assigned to the former group, and have considered it as furnish- 

 ing one of the essential differences between the classes. To prove the 

 incorrectness of this assumption, in one instance at least, is the chief 

 object of the first memoir in the present number. After some general 

 remarks on the luminosity of the sea, and on tlie immense nimiber of 

 minute animals with which the ocean teems, the authour proceeds to review 

 briefly the history of our acquaintance with the genus Zoea, Bosc. To 

 Slabber we are indebted for the earliest description and figure of an 

 animal of tliis group, and it is curious to remark that that observer stated 

 that the Zoea underwent a metamorphosis, and gave a figure of ainother 

 crustaceous species as that into which it was transformed. Mr. Thompson 

 observes, however, that this new animal was probably introduced acci- 

 dentally among the sea-water, which it was necessary to renew occasion- 

 ally, and that the original Zoea having been lost by want of care, the 

 former was mistakenly regarded as a new state of the latter. To this con- 

 clusion he is led by the circumstance that the form of Slabber's new 

 animal bears no resemblance to that which was produced in his own 

 experiments ; but it should be recollected that the species of Zoea which 

 fell under his particular observation, was probably different from that 

 which engaged the attention of the early describer. 



The species in which the metamorphosis was observed by Mr. Thomp- 

 son, was obtained in considerable abundance in the harbour of Cove, near 

 Cork ; and a large specimen having been selected with the view of veri- 



