NA TURE 



\Nuv. 6, 1873 



from photographic negatives taken by Dr. Henderson 

 himself, and nothing can, in most cases, be more satis- 

 factory. What is wanted on such occasions is not only a 

 picture, but a representation sufficiently full of detail to 

 enable the reader' by simple inspection to form a truthful 

 idea of the country described. Such are found in the 

 photographs of the Valley above Paskyum, and the fort 

 and bridge over the Indus river at Kalsi, and others before 

 us, which, from the contrasts of light and shade, and the 

 evident glare, bring vividly before the mind the intensity 

 of the heat, as well as the desolateness of the locality, 

 a combination scarcely possible in any character of 

 engraving. 



The Natural History notes are mostly ornithological 

 and botanical. In his risume of the ornithological results 

 of the expedition, Mr. Hume informs-us that "altogether, 

 158 species were observed, but of these only 59 pertain to 

 the ornithologically unknown hills and plains of Yarkand. 

 . . . Of these fifty-nine species, 7, Falco hendcrsoni {? F. 

 milvipes, of Hodgson), Saxicola hendcrsoni, Suya albo 

 siipem'lians, Podoces hendersoni, P. humilis, Galerida 

 mai^na, and Caccabis pallidiis, are probably new to 

 Science." An excellent illustration, by Mr. Keulemans, 

 is given of each of these new species, except the last, 

 which is very closely allied to C. chukar, and the colora- 

 tion of the drawing of Sturnus nitcns (Hume) exemplifies 

 very successfully the propriety of the specific name. Mr. 

 Gould's description of S. piirpurascens is compared with 

 that of the new species, the former being absolutely 

 speckless and much smaller. Podoces hendersoni and 

 P. humilis are both new species of this genus, which the 

 author, following Bonaparte, places with the Choughs and 

 not with the Jays and Magpies, remarking, however, 

 " remembering their ground-feeding, dust-loving habits, 

 ... I cannot avoid the suspicion that these birds may 

 constitute a very aberrant form of the great Timaline 

 group." 



On the Chang-la pass above referred to, Mr. Shaw ob- 

 tained a butterfly, which Mr. H. W. Bates places in the 

 mountain genus Mesapia, naming it M. shawii ; it closely 

 resembles M. peloria. Several specimens of the moth, 

 Neorina shadula were also obtained. 



Dr. Hooker and Mr. Bentham have written the de- 

 scriptions of the new species of flowering plants, which 

 are figured ; they include, from the Tamaricacea, Holo- 

 lachne shawiana ; from the Compositix;, Iphiona radiata 

 and Saussu7-ea ovata ; and from the Apocynacea:, Apo- 

 cynum hcndersonii. Dr. Dickie of Aberdeen describes 

 the Algae and Diatomaceae, and has also named some 

 new forms. 



OUR BOOK SHELF 



The Internal Parasites of our Domcsticaied Animals. 



By T. S. Cobbold, F.R.S. (The Field Office.) 

 In this short and concise work Dr. Cobbold has em- 

 bodied a series of articles which have appeared from time 

 to time in the Field. They, having been originally written 

 for the perusal of the non-scientific public, are put in a 

 simple and elementary manner, and much stress is laid 

 on the practical bearing of the science of helminthology, 

 the true value of which the author clearly shows to be but 

 little appreciated by the growers of stock. Several 

 excellent illustrations accompany the descriptions, which 



will greatly assist the amateur reader. The entozoa in- 

 festing the ox arc first described, — flukes, tapeworms, and 

 measle, together with round worms. The importance of 

 more perfect sewage arrangements whereby the ejecta 

 of one animal are not allowed to contaminate the ingesta 

 of another, is laid great stress on. The great carelessness 

 on this point in India evidently leads to the preponder- 

 ance of parasitic diseases in that country, wliere the heat 

 and attending thirst cause the frequently small supplies of 

 water to be employed for drink when in a very unfit state, or 

 account of the abundance of ova of parasites that it may 

 contain. A description is also given of the manner in which 

 the Burates or Cossacks of the region of Lake Baikal are 

 nearly all infested with tapeworm, from the custom preva- 

 lent amongst them of eating their meat — the flesh of 

 calves, sheep, camels, and horses — in an almost raw con- 

 dition, and in enormous quantities. We think that there 

 is one point in which this work is particularly suggestive. 

 The great gaps there are in our knowledge of helmintho- 

 logy, such as the imperfect information that can be given 

 as to the source of- the liver fluke, must cause most 

 readers who have opportunities at their disposal to wish 

 to develop further a subject which has so many obvious 

 practical bearings on the prosperity of this country ; for 

 England in the opinion of many competent authorities is 

 developing more and more into a meat-producing and not 

 seed-growing land. The parasites of the sheep, dog, hog, 

 and cat are those which form the rest of this instructive 

 little volume. 



Chapters on Trees : a Popular Account of their Nature 



and Uses. By Mary and Elizabeth Kirby (London : 



Cassell, Petter, and Galpin.) 

 The Amateiit^s Greenhouse and Conservatory. By Shirley 



Hibberd. (London: Groombridge and Sons, 1S73.) 

 We have here a brace of books on arboriculture and 

 floriculture, each of which will be welcomed by a certain 

 class of readers, and will fill a useful place in popular 

 scientific literature. Both are written in an agreeable and 

 attractive manner, and are bound and generally got up 

 in a style to suit the drawing-room table. The authoress 

 of the first (or authoresses, for though two names appear 

 on the title-page, the pronoun used is sometimes the first 

 person singular) must not be taken too implicitly as a 

 guide in her scientific and structural details. Alany of her 

 statements are, to say the least, very doubtful, and bear 

 the marks of a want of acquaintance with the recent 

 results of botanical science. Passing by this defect, we 

 have a great deal of interesting information and gossip 

 about a great number of our forest-trees. There are also 

 very good descriptions, forming the best part of the book, 

 of many other trees of great economic value with which we 

 are not so familiar, as the ebony, the camphor, the nutmeg- 

 tree, &c. The illustrations — one full-sized one for every 

 tree, besides smaller ones^are, with a few exceptions, 

 excellent. 



The second volume, like all Mr. Shirley Hibberd's, 

 contains a great amount of practically useful informa- 

 tion on the culture of plants. Indeed anyone who is 

 interested in the matter will find here advice on almost 

 every point connected with the construction and manage- 

 ment of plant-houses, and with the selection, cultivation, 

 and improvement of ornamental greenhouse and con- 

 servatory plants. There are a large number of woodcuts 

 and some well-executed coloured plates. The book 

 comes, however, more within the range of the gardener 

 than of the scientific student. 



Tenth Annual Report of the Belfast Naturalists' Field 



Club. (Belfast : 1S73.) 

 We are glad to see from the Committee's report that the 

 condition of this club is in every respect satisfactory, both 

 as to numbers, finances, and, most important of all, 

 amount and value of work done by the members. The 



