April 13, 1871] 
cation, geographical distribution, and literature, which 
renders the book a model of what such a work should be. 
The Kingfishers, although represented in our country by 
only one species, are especially abundant in the Eastern 
Tropics, where they exhibit a great variety of form and 
the most exquisite beauty of plumage. A considerable 
number of them are inhabitants of the forests, and never 
frequent water, subsisting on insects, small crustacea and 
mollusca, and the larger species even on snakes, lizards, and 
other reptiles, which they capture by darting down upon 
them from a branch just as our own species pounces upon 
a fish. Mr. Sharpe has been fortunate in securing the 
services of a young Dutch artist, Mr. Keulemans, who has 
himself studied birds in the tropics, and seizes upon their 
various attitudes with the happiest fidelity. He also sur- 
rounds his figures with little bits of appropriate scenery, 
so that a considerable number of the 120 plates with 
which the book is illustrated are beautiful pictures, as 
well as admirable representations of the several species, 
We do not hesitate to say that many of these plates are 
equal to the very best that have appeared in any illus- 
trated work of Natural History. The body of the work 
consists of coloured figures of every known species of 
kingfisher, with full synonymy, careful description, and 
record of whatever is known of its habits. In the intro- 
duction, the classification of the species is carefully con- 
sidered, only those generic groups being retained which 
can be characterised by marked structural differences. 
The whole family is first divided into two sub-families : 
the Alcedinidz, or true kingfishers, characterised by a 
compressed keeled bill ; and the Daceloninz, or king- 
hunters, which have a depressed bill rounded or furrowed 
above. These are subdivided into nineteen genera, in 
which are grouped the 125 species of kinghsher now 
known. The groupsare all characterised by modifications 
of the bill, feet, or tail, and a plate exhibits these generic 
characters at one view. There is also a tabular key of the 
species in every genus and of the genera in each sub-family, 
and the reasons are given for rejecting numerous genera 
proposed by other authors on insufficient characters. The 
geographical distribution of the species is then discussed 
in the same careful manner, an exact account of the known 
range of every species being given, as well as tables show- 
ing ata glance the distribution of all the species of a genus 
or group of allied genera ; after which the results of the 
examination are ablysummedup. Kingfishers present us 
with some of the most curious anomalies of distribution to 
be found in the whole class of birds. There is no part of 
the world so rich in peculiar forms of bird-lifeas America, 
more especially the southern half of it, yet it is the poorest 
of all parts of the world in kingfishers, only eight species 
being found in the whole continent,—a continent with 
more rivers and more fish than any other! The single 
island of Celebes actually contains as many different kinds 
of kingfisher as all North and South America, while 
New Guinea contains more than twice as many. It is 
perhaps even a more extraordinary fact that there is no 
peculiar type of kingfisher in America, all the eight species 
belonging toone genus, andthat genus found alsoin Europe, 
Asia, and Africa. In Africa we have three peculiar genera 
of kingfisher, and twenty-four peculiar species. In 
continental India there are only five peculiar species, and 
not one genus. The western Malay Islands (Indo-Malayan 
sub-region) have one peculiar genus, and eleven peculiar 
species ; the Philippines, seven peculiar species; but the 
Australian region has no less than ten peculiar genera and 
fifty-nine peculiar species, or nearly half those of the 
whole world. The peculiarities of the island of Celebes 
are well shown by the kingfishers, for not only has it eight 
peculiar species and three peculiar genera, but one of the 
latter has affinities with an African genus. In discussing 
the general relations of this isolated group of birds to the 
rest of the order, and the mutual affinities of the genera, 
the conclusion is arrived at that they are most nearly 
NATURE 


467 
allied to (although still very remote from) the hornbills ; 
and their relations are expressed by a branching diagram, 
as well by a map of the genus on the plan of Professor 
Flower. A copious account of the literature of the family 
is also given, no less than 135 separate works being 
enumerated, with references to every species of kingfisher 
described or noticed in them. An elaborate paper on the 
anatomy of these birds by Dr. Murie, with a full index, 
completes this exceedingly valuable work, which will be 
equally acceptable to the naturalist for its detailed and 
accurate information, and to all who love nature for its 
beautiful and artistic illustrations. 
ALFRED R. WALLACE 
The Wind in his Circuits, with the Explanation of the 
Origin and Cause of Circular Storms and Equinoctial 
Gales. By Lieut. R. H. Armit, R.N. (London: J. D. 
Potter, 1870.) 
ACCORDING to Lieut. Armit “all the various phenomena 
which occur in Nature are accounted for by one theory 
forming one law, and the force which governs and regu- 
lates everything, even to imparting perpetual motion to 
the world, is Electricity” (p. 122). When the reader is 
informed of the authors opinion that the east wind is 
formed of compressed vapour or steam (p. 57), that 
lightning and thunder are caused by the Arctic current 
descending to fill any vacuum that may suddenly be 
found in the warm currents below it, the “grating” of the 
currents against each other causing friction and lightning, 
and the sudden shock of the impenetrable masses the 
thunder (p. 68); and that, by an attentive study of his 
theory, it will in future “be as easy to foretell and evade 
a storm and keep in a fair wind, asit isto drive over good 
roads and evade the bad ones, when you know the 
country you are driving through” (p. 126), he will under- 
stand that the book may be consulted out of curiosity, 
or for its psychological interest, but not for instruction in 
what concerns atmospherical phenomena and the laws 
which govern them. 

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 
[The Editer does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed 
by his Correspondents, No notice is taken of anonymous 
communications. | 


Pangenesis 
ON the introduction of Mr. Charles G. Leland, the author of 
the famous ‘‘ Breitman Ballads,” who was present at the reading 
of Mr. Galton’s paper on Pangenesis before the Royal Society 
on the 30th ult., I have seen Mr. Lewis Ware, a young American 
gentleman who has been studying science in Paris since 1868. 
By him I am informed that M. Leconte (I presume the 
physiological chemist of that name) is accustomed to mention in 
his lectures that he had frequently transfused the blood of one 
kind of animal into the veins of another; but it does not appear, 
in reference to those experiments, that any subsequent effects 
were noticed, as regards the offspring of such animals. 
M. Leconte, however, further relates that once, not by way of 
experiment, but in order to save life, endangered, it must be sup- 
posed, from the occurrence of previous hemorrhage, he transfused 
into the veins of a white man blood drawn from anegro, and that 
the subsequent offspring of this white man by a white mother 
were swarthy in complexion. 
Now, I cannot find any Audlished record of M. Leconte’s 
operation and its singular consequences, and it is impossible at 
the present moment to reach him by letter. I desire therefore to 
give publicity to what seems to be a conclusive proof of the 
theory of “ pangenesis,” with the view of eliciting a confirma- 
tion or refutation of the statement from some one who may 
chance to read this note, and who may have the necessary oppor- 
tunities and leisure for further inquiry into the particulars of so 
very remarkable an incident. It is obvious that the number of 
children so affected, and the coincidence or absence of other 
changes in the hair, the form of skull, &c., require to be investi- 
gated, and the credibility of the parents fully authenticated. 
10, Savile Row, W., April 8 JOHN MARSHALL 
