Miscellanies. 189 



that the two halves of the skin, thus completely divided, continued to 

 recede further and further from the centre, and became folded and 

 rugose ; and after a short space, by means of the continued twitching 

 of the animal's body, it was brought down in folds on the sides. The 

 hinder leg, first on one side and then on the other, was brought for- 

 ward under the arm, which was pressed down upon it, and on the hind- 

 er limb being withdrawn, its cuticle was left inverted under the arms, 

 and that of the anterior extremity was now loosened, and at length 

 drawn off by the assistance of the mouth. The whole cuticle was 

 thus detached, and was now pushed by the two hands into the mouth 

 in a little ball, and swallowed at a single gulp." 



Four species of Salamandrid(B are described in the volume before 

 us. The history of the Triton cristatus, common water-newt, is 

 very elaborate ; our author has carefully made the same observations 

 as Rusconi, and adds his testimony to the value of that writer's inves- 

 tigations with regard to the development of this species. We are 

 here told, that Spallanzani supposed that the eggs when deposited, 

 fell at once to the bottom of the water, and that " Cuvier asserts, that 

 they are produced by several at a time, attached to each other like 

 beads." Now, although Rusconi first published an accurate account 

 of this process, our author had several times personally observed it 

 before he was acquainted with Rusconi's book. It appears that the 

 egg, instead of being carelessly dropped, is most curiously guarded. 

 " The female, selecting some leaf of an aquatic plant, sits, as it were, 

 Bpon its edge, and folding it by means of her two hinder feet, deposits 

 a single egg in the duplicature of the folded part of the leaf, which 

 is thereby glued most securely together, and the egg is thus effectu- 

 ally protected from injury."* 



The wood cuts accompanying the descriptions are graphic and ex- 

 cellent; the vignettes so liberally distributed throughout the volume, 

 must enhance its value with general readers. 



In conclusion, we would recommend all who have the slightest taste 

 for herpetology, to study this volume; and when again confined to 

 our chamber by indisposition, may we have the good fortune to meet 

 with a production of the "Professor of Zoology, King's College, 

 London." 



17. Association of American Geologists. 



At a meeting held at the rooms of the Franklin Institute in the city 

 of Philadelphia, on the 2d of April, 1840, the following gentlemen 

 were present, viz. 



* An abstract of Rusconi's memoir on the "natural history and structure of the 

 aquatic Salamander," with an illustrative plate, may be found in No. svii of the 

 "Edinburgh Philosophical Journal" for 1823. 



