February 17, 19 10] 



na ture 



46; 



We are indebted to the authors, the Rev. C. E. Y. 

 Kendall and Messrs. J. D. Dean and W. M. Rankin, for 

 a copy of a paper on the geographical distribution of 

 molluscs in South Lonsdale, reprinted from the \or]is\ine 

 Naturalist for last year. The dependence of the distribu- 

 tion of the various species on station, geological forma- 

 tion. &c., is fully indicated. 



In the Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences 

 of Philadelphia for November, 1909, Messrs. H. A. Pilsbry 

 and J. H. Ferriss continue their account of the land and 

 fresh-water molluscs of the south-western States, dealing 

 in this instance with the fauna of the Huachuca Mountains 

 of Arizona. In the same issue Dr. Pilsbry, this time in 

 association with Mr. A. A. Hinkley, discusses the 

 Melaniidse of the Panuco River system of Mexico. 



Three Continental insects are added to the British fauna 

 in the Entomologist's Monthly Magazine for February, Dr. 

 D. Sharp recording the Mediterranean beetle Crepidodera 

 impressa from Hayling Island and Galerucella pusilla from 

 the New Forest and elsewhere, while Mr. E. A. Butler 

 chronicles the occurrence of an example of Cyrtorhinus 

 getnintis, a Scandinavian and Livonian hemipterid, at 

 Broxbourne, and also mentions a second British specimen 

 of the same species preserved in his own collection. 

 • 



The January number of the Museums Journal contains 

 a summary of the correspondence which has recently 

 appeared in the Times with regard to the administration 

 of the natural-history branch of the British Museum. At 

 the conclusion of the summary the opinion is editorially 

 expressed that the director of the natural-history depart- 

 ments should be independent of the director and principal 

 librarian at Bloomsbury. If the separation of the two 

 establishments were carried out, no one, so far as we are 

 aware, has suggested a suitable and adequate title for 

 the one at South Kensington. " Natural History 

 Museum " is obviously insufficient, except when used in 

 connection with this country alone. 



At the commencement of a monographic revision of the 

 Strepsiptera, published as Bulletin No. 66 of the U.S. 

 National Museum, Mr. ■ W. D. Pierce states that he is 

 unable to accept the view that these parasitic insects are 

 modified representatives of the Coleoptera, and accordingly 

 regards them as forming an order by themselves, of which 

 several families, in addition to the typical Stylopidte, are 

 recognised. In the author's opinion, the Strepsiptera form 

 an order, " on a distinct line of descent from that of the 

 Coleoptera, and nearer the Hymenoptera and Diptera, and 

 as highly specialised as the highest insects in any of the 

 orders." It is remarked that few persons have seen the 

 adult winged males of these insects, although most 

 collectors have marvelled at their portraits in books. The 

 author hopes that the publication of his monograph will 

 lead to a considerable increase in our knowledge of these 

 insects. 



To Spolia Zcylanica for December, iqog, vol. vi., p. loS, 

 Dr. A. Willey contributes notes on the nest, eggs, and 

 larvae of the well-known fish Ophiocephahis striatus, 

 locally termed in Ceylon the lula, or marral. The most 

 interesting fact in connection with the breeding-habits of 

 this fish is that the eggs float on the surface of the water 

 by their own buoyancy, a feature apparently unique among 

 fresh-water species. In certain other groups the same 

 advantages, namely, proximity to atmospheric air and 

 exposure to sunlight, are partly gained by the suspension 

 of the eggs to plant-stems, their enclosure in floating nests 

 of herbage or foam, or by their deposition in very shallow 

 NO. 2103, VOL. 82] 



water. .-\s regards development, the simple ventral flexure 

 of the embryo of Ophiocephalus, the absence of retinal 

 pigment within the egg, and the formation of the pectoral 

 fins after the larva is hatched, are features contrasting 

 with what prevails among many teleosteans. In these the 

 later appearance of the ventral fins is the rule. In the 

 African and American lung-fishes the two pairs of limbs 

 arise simultaneously, but in the .Australian Ceratodus the 

 ventrals appear about a month later than the pectorals, 

 much as in Ophiocephalus. 



We heartily welcome another of those meritorious mono- 

 graphs which the Americans are working up so thoroughly 

 with reference to their own fauna. This time it is a 

 " Monograph of the West .American Pyramidellid MoUuscks," 

 by W. H. Dall and P. Bartsch (Smithsonian Institution, 

 1909, Bulletin No. 68). Though titularly devoted to the 

 Pacific coast of the U.S.A., this work will be invaluable 

 to all students of marine gastropods on account of its 

 synopsis of genera and sections, forming a complete key to 

 the systematisation of a most difficult family. It matters 

 very little whether we accept the authors' views as to the 

 status of their subgenera and sections or prefer to regard 

 the majority of them as genera. Certainl)' many, such as 

 Syrnola, Actaeopyramis, Mormula, and Menestho, are 

 generally nowadays accorded the higher rank — no doubt in 

 course of time practically all their groups will be so treated. 

 Meanwhile, Messrs. Dall and Bartsch prefer to restrict the 

 number of recent genera, and admit only three of the four 

 to be found in Fischer's " Manuel de Conchyliologie," 

 Eulimella being subordinated to Pyramidella ; the latter has 

 altogether twenty-three named subdivisions, Turbonilla has 

 twentv-four, and Odostomia has forty. So far as concerns 

 our British Pyramidellids, the classification coincides mainly 

 with that adopted in the Conchological Society's latest list 

 {Jour, of Conch., igoi). We note, however, several changes. 

 The names Ondina and Pyrgostelis yield in priority to 

 Evalea and Pyrgiscus, and the latter group, typified by the 

 old Odostomia rufa, Phil., is transferred — we think more 

 conveniently and correctly — to Turbonilla. .\ similar 

 transfer is made of O. fenestrata, Forbes, and it is placed 

 in a separate subgenus, Tragula. Pyrgulina is reserved for 

 species with a sculpture of impressed spiral lines, and for 

 our species of the inlerstincta type we must substitute the 

 name Parthenina. 



The latest and concluding number of the ninth volume 

 of the Bulletin du Jardin Imperial botanique, St. Peters- 

 burg, contains a note, by Mr. J. W. Palibin, relating to 

 the distribution of Adoxa Moschatellina in the Caucasus 

 and Ruppia maritima in south-eastern Siberia, and an 

 article by Mr. A. A. Elenkin in which he presents a survey 

 of certain species of Anabaena, with special reference to 

 a new species, Anabaena Scheremetiewi. 



A SECOND contribution of notes on Philippine palms, by 

 Dr. O. Beccari, is published in the botanical section (vol. 

 iv., No. s) of the Philippine Journal of Science. The type 

 of a new species, Normanbya Merrillii, is provided by a 

 fine palm which has the habit of Areca catechu, and yields 

 a nut suitable for chewing ; another new species, Areca 

 macrocarpa, also bears comparison with the Areca palm 

 on account of its fruit, which is even larger than the 

 betel-nut. Several new species are placed in the genera 

 Livistona, Korthalsia, Heterospathe, and Pinanga ; there 

 are also additions to the climbing palms Calamus and 

 Dsemonorops. The same number of the journal contains 

 a first article, by Mr. O. Ames, on Philippine orchids, and 

 a revision of the native Combretaceae by Mr. E. D. 

 Merrill. 



