Way 22, 1884] 



NA TURE 



75 



vhich the second part has just been issued, has given us 

 in excellent summary of Natterer's discoveries in this 

 :lass of animals. 



During his ten journeys in the Brazilian Empire (of 

 vhich the first was commenced at Rio in November 1817, 

 ind the last terminated at Para in September 1835) 

 Matterer collected no less than 1 179 examples of mammals, 

 ill most carefully prepared and accurately labelled, with 

 totes of sex, colours of soft parts, date, and locality- 

 Fhese are referred by von Pelzeln to 205 species, 73 of 

 vhich were new to science when first obtained by this 

 mrivalled collector. 



Natterer had planned a general work on the mammals 

 )f Brazil, in conjunction with Andreas Wagner. After 

 he former's untimely death in 1843, Wagner published 

 lescriptions of the new genera and species in Wiegmann's 

 ■Irtinv and other periodicals, and introduced notices of 

 hem into his well-known supplement to Schreber's 

 ' Sangethiere." But we have now for the first time a 

 romplete systematic account of the whole of Natterer's 

 :ollection with exact localities. 



As might have been expected, the dense forest-region 

 nostly traversed by Natterer was especially productive of 

 luadrumana — the American group of this order being 

 ixclusively arboreal in their habits. No less than 265 speci- 

 Tiens of American monkeys were obtained, referable to 45 

 ipecies, 4 of which were new to science. Of Chiroptera, 

 batterer procured examples of 48 species, of which at 

 east 25 were first discovered by him. It should be also 

 loted that the very singular structure of the stomach of 

 he bloodsucking Desmodi, first made known by Prof. 

 Huxley in 1865, was, as is testified by his note-books, 

 areviously discovered by Natterer in 1828 ! 



The Carnivores are not so numerous in the Brazilian 

 brests as the two preceding orders. Only 17 species 

 vere met with by Natterer, and only one of these (Lutra 

 \ias first made known to us by his specimens, 

 rhe Rodents, on the other hand, are very abundant in 

 species as in individuals in this part of South America. 

 \ T ot less than 50 species are represented in Natterer's 

 series, whereof 24 were previously unknown to science. 



The Ungulates are not abundant in South America, the 

 rue Ruminants being only represented by some peculiar 

 iorms of the deer family (Cervidas). Of these Natterer 

 sbtained examples referable to 5 species. Besides the 

 Seer the only Ungulates met with were a tapir {Tap- 

 rus americanus) and the two well-known species of 

 ieccary. 



Of the Sirenia, Natterer met with a manatee high up 

 he stream of the Amazons, in the Rio Negro, Rio 

 orancho, and Madeira, and maintains in his notes that 

 he species which inhabits these far inland waters is quite 

 liferent from the Manatus americanus of the South 

 American coast. Natterer called it Manatus inunguis, 

 !rom its nailless fingers, and sent home to the Imperial 

 Cabinet of Vienna three complete specimens and severa] 

 kulls. Of the Cetaceans, Natterer met with two species 

 •1 dolphin in the Amazons and its tributaries. Inia ama- 

 wnica was found in the Guapore' and Madeira, and two 

 examples obtained, and a head of Steno tucuxi was 

 'nought home from Barra de Rio Negro. Interesting 

 votes are given on the structure of both these little-known 

 nimals. 



We now come to the Edentata, which, as is well known, 

 are well represented in the Neotropical Region by the 

 three families of sloths, armadillos, and anteaters. Of 

 each of these peculiar forms Natterer obtained a fine 

 series. Among the sloths the two-toed Cholopus didactylus 

 was met with on the banks of the Rio Negro and its 

 tributaries, while of the three-toed genus Bradypus ex- 

 amples were collected which are referred by Herr von 

 Pelzeln to rive species. Of armadillos, Natterer obtained 

 examples of five species, including the giant Clieloniscus 

 gigas ; he likewise procured specimens of all the three 

 known species of anteaters. 



South America is also rich in the smaller opossums, 

 which constitute the only family of extra- Australian Mar- 

 supials, and amongst them this assiduous collector reaped 

 a rich harvest. Of iS species of which he sent home 

 specimens not less than 1 1 were previously unknown to 

 science, and were mostly described by Andreas Wagner 

 under Natterer's manuscript names. It may, indeed, be 

 safely affirmed that no naturalist, unless our country- 

 man, John Gould, in the case of his celebrated expedition 

 to Australia, be a possible exception, has ever been 

 equally successful with Johann Natterer in discoveries 

 amongst the higher classes of animals, and it is probable 

 that no future naturalist, however great be his industry, 

 will ever surpass him in the number and variety of his 

 discoveries or in the excellence of his specimens. 



OUR BOOK SHELF 



A Treatise on Chemistry. By H. E. Roscoe, F.R.S., and 

 C. Schorlemmer, F.R.S., Professors of Chemistry in the 

 Victoria University, Owens College, Manchester. Vol. 

 III. Organic Chemistry, Part II. (London: Mac- 

 millan and Co., 1S84.) 



The first part of this volume, treating of the hydro- 

 carbons of the paraffin series, and the alcohols, ethers, 

 bases, acids, &c, derived therefrom, has already been 

 reviewed in this journal (vol. xxv. p. 50). The part 

 now under consideration treats of a large number of com- 

 pounds derived from the di-, tri-, tetra, and hex-atomic . 

 alcohol-radicals, and from the monatomic alcohol-radicals 

 of the series C„H 2 „_, ; also of the carbohydrates, sugar, 

 starch, gum, cellulose, &c, and of the furfuryl, meconic 

 acid, and uric acid derivatives. Many of these bodies, 

 e.g. the carbohydrates, and oxalic, lactic, malic, tartaric, 

 citric, and uric acids, are of great importance as constituents 

 of vegetable and animal organisms, and for their applica- 

 tions in arts and manufactures. The extraction and puri- 

 fication of sugar, from the cane and from beet, are clearly 

 and fully described in this volume, and illustrated by 

 excellent woodcuts of the apparatus and machinery used ; 

 also the estimation of sugar in juices, &c, by the optical 

 or polarimetric method. Descriptions and illustrations 

 are also given of the manufacture of starch, of the uses of 

 cellulose in its various forms, cotton, flax, hemp, &c, and 

 of the manufacture of paper. 



Altogether the part now under consideration forms a 

 very valuable portion of Roscoe and Schorlemmer's 

 " Treatise," and we hope that the publication of (he remain- 

 ing parts — which will treat of the benzene-derivatives or 

 aromatic bodies, and of the proximate constituents of the 

 animal organism — will not be long delayed. The por- 

 tions already published afford a guarantee that the volume 

 when finished will form one of the most complete treatises 

 on Organic Chemistry yetj published in the English 

 language. 



H. Watts 



