Fune 17, 1886} 
NATURE 
and descriptions have not therefore been included. On 
another fly-leaf is a list of the authors who have had 
a share in the production of the work. The number of 
these is no less than twenty, and among them are such 
familiar names as Tarleton H. Bean, Join A. Ryder, and 
R. Edward Earll. 
The work is divided into five parts: i. mammals ; ii. 
reptiles and batrachians ; iii. fishes; iv. mollusks; v. 
crustaceans, worms, radiates, and sponges. Of the mam- 
mals the whales and porpoises are described by G. Brown 
Goode ; seals and walruses, by Joel A. Allen, and Henry 
W. Elliott, who contributes a chapter on the life-history 
of the fur-seal; manatees and the Arctic sea-cow, by 
Frederic W. True. The reptiles and batrachians are also 
treated by Mr. True. Mr. Brown Goode is responsible for 
the greater part of the portion dealing with the fishes. The 
part on mollusks consists of two chapters, one on mollusks 
in general, by Ernest Ingersoll ; one on the oyster, by John 
A. Ryder. Part V. is the work of Richard Rathbun. 
The work of Mr. Brown Goode is always lucid, system- 
atic, and complete. In his account of the whales and 
porpoises he does not give technical zoological diagnoses, 
these being, as we have already mentioned, intentionally 
omitted throughout the work, but he gives the accepted 
name with its authorities accurately indicated. He de- 
scribes fully, with references to all the literature of the 
subject, the distribution, habits, food, and reproduction of 
all the species having an economic value. Figures of 
nearly all the species are given; these are taken from 
various sources, some prepared specially for the present 
work, some copied from the plates of existing zoological 
memoirs. 
A discrepancy occurs between the title of one of the 
figures and the description contained in the text: the 
porpoise sperm whale is stated to have been described by 
Prof. Gill, under the name Kogda Flowerz, while the 
figure given is entitled Kogza Goodez, True, the pygmy 
sperm whale. Two sketches illustrating the whale fishery 
are reproduced in Plates 3 and 10. The account of the 
“right whales” is not altogether clear. It takes some 
time to find out that the species generally known as the 
“right whale” is Ba/ena mysticetus, L., which is the Arctic 
whale, or bowhead ; while the true right whale is Euba- 
lena, Cope: but the assertion that Auéalena cisarctica, 
Cope, is not remotely related to Eudéalena biscayensis of 
the Eastern Atlantic, remains a puzzle. 
Mr. Allen’s work on the seals is thoroughly satisfactory, 
and the history of the fur-seal at the Pribylov Islands, 
given by Mr. Elliott, contains the results of accurate 
personal observation, which has at last elucidated the 
meaning of the peculiar and long-known habits of this 
species. The movements of Cadlorhinius ursinus when 
absent from its breeding places remain for the present 
obscure, but the reason why it seeks its breeding places 
so regularly, and the facts of its reproduction—knowledge 
of which is necessary in order that a permanent diminu- 
tion of the numbers of the animal may be avoided—are 
clearly set forth in this essay. 
The illustrations of the account of the seals and of 
Mr. Elliott’s essay are particularly good. Among the 
former are two maps of the world, showing at a glance the 
geographical distribution of the useful seals. Mr. Elliott’s 
original sketches of the fur-seal at home in the Pribylov 
Islands are very spirited and interesting. 
Mr. True gives an account of the South American 
manatee, and reviews lucidly the history of the extinct 
Rhytina of Behring’s Strait. 
The chapter on the reptiles and amphibians is entirely 
unillustrated, for what reason does not appear. The 
reptiles which afford products useful to man are the alli- 
gator, the turtles and tortoises, and one frog —Rana 
catesbiana, Shaw—the bull-frog. This last animal is 
cultivated in several localities, the eating of the hind-legs 
being common in most towns of the States. 
147 
The note at the commencement of Part III. on 
the food-fishes is a little inconsistent. ‘‘ We antici- 
pate the criticism that the book is of no use in 
identifying the different kinds of fish, by the statement 
that we expressly desire that it shall not be,” is one 
sentence ; and another is, “‘ Most of our important species 
can be identified by reference to the plates.” What the 
writer evidently means to say is that each species men- 
tioned is accurately figured and receives its correct 
technical name, so that any one interested in fishes can 
find out the zoological name of his specimens from the 
plates, and can read all about range and economical uses, 
while for more detailed scientific treatment reference must 
be made to speciegraphical works in ichthyology. Various 
ichthyologists have contributed to this portion of the work. 
The fishes of the Pacific coast are the special province of 
David S. Jordan, while one or two species, like the Cali- 
fornian salmon and the carp, have been allotted to pisci- 
culturists specially familiar with them. Many vexed 
questions in the biology of fishes are discussed by Mr. 
Brown Goode with his usual lucidity and comprehensive- 
ness. The pages on the reproduction of the eel, for 
example, are very interesting reading, and this is by no 
means a solitary example. ‘he food-fishes naturally take 
up a large portion of the whole work. They occupy more 
than half of the volume of text, extending to more than 
500 pages. In the plates there is one feature which we 
have after serious efforts completely failed to understand. 
(n nearly every plate there is a straight line below each 
figure, apparently intended as some standard of measure- 
ment ; but the meaning of these lines is not explained. 
In his chapter on the mollusks Mr. Ingersoll has not 
always observed the rule strictly followed in the rest of 
the work of giving the authority for each specific name 
used. He gives an account of the distribution of the 
numerous other species of Lamellibranchs used as food in 
the United States, but gives no description of oyster-beds. 
In Mr. Ryder’s account of the life-history of the oyster 
there is a great deal of interesting detail about anatomy 
and development, and about the writer’s own experiments 
in oyster-culture, but a general account of the distribution 
of Ostrea virginica is wanting. This is a surprising 
omission, and one much to be regretted. 
Why Mr. Rathbun, even in a work intended for general 
readers, should unite together Echinoderms and Ccelen- 
terates as Radiates is a question which it would be 
difficult to answer. The name Radiata would require to 
be considered in a history of zoology, but it is impossible 
to justify its use in the classification of animals for any 
purpose in the present state of science, But this and the 
other slight defects we have pointed out do not make a 
very great reduction in the value and completeness of the 
whole work. The labour spent in its preparation has been 
very great, and the result is a lasting monument to the 
industry and scientific capacity of Mr. Browne Goode and 
his numerous fellow workers. 
REMARKS ON THE EGGS OF BRITISH 
MARINE FISHES 
HE majority of marine fishes, in regard to reproduc- 
tion, readily range themselves into certain groups 
according to the condition of the eggs on deposition. 
Thus (a2) a considerable number have delicate pelagic 
ova, which are generally separate, though in the frog- 
fish, for instance, they form gelatinous masses. (0) Others 
are characterised by the deposition of thick-walled ova, 
connected together in more or less firm masses, on or 
near the bottom, or in special nests. (c) A third group 
is distinguished by laying ova which have filamentous 
processes or adhesive surfaces for attachment to foreign 
structures ; and some place them in brood-pouches of the 
males, in which case, however, the capsules appear to be 
* By Prof. McIntosh, F.R.S., &c., St. Andrews Marine Laboratory. 
