274 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. II. No. 35. 



bleaker regions of tlie southern hemisijhere 

 should ' upset ' any notion as to their intoler- 

 ance of cold. Nor is it necessary to postulate 

 a decreased temperature as the cause of isola- 

 tion of the relics of a past dynasty. The 

 proposition that the tapirs are ' purely tropical 

 animals, ' and that they have been isolated ' by 

 the gradual decrease of heat in the northern 

 hemisphere ' (p. 131), is scarcely tenable in view 

 of the fact that one of the species — Tapirua 

 pinchaque — is an inhabitant of lieights where the 

 temperature is but moderate. The camelids, 

 whose now living members are as isolated as 

 the tapirs, are likewise capable of withstanding 

 much cold as well as heat. Their demission 

 from regions once inhabited by an ancestral 

 stock must therefore have resulted from other 

 complications than loss of heat, although that 

 may have been one of the causes. Tempera- 

 ture in many cases affects animals indirectly 

 (by means of its influence on the food supply) 

 rather than directly. 



Numerous names are used for animals for 

 which those who follow strictly rules of priority 

 would employ others, and probably Mr. Bed- 

 dard himself would in some cases use others if 

 he reconsidered the questions involved. Among 

 such is Platydactylus facetanus, properly known 

 as Tarentola mauritanica, which we refer to 

 in order to add that it certainly cannot be 

 called a ' cosmopolitan Gecko ' (p. 10), inasmuch 

 as it is almost or (according to Boulenger) quite 

 limited to the ' Mediterranean District. ' In one 

 case at least different names have been used for 

 the same genus, as Semnopithecun (106) and Pres- 

 bytes (103). In other cases wi'ong names have 

 been used instead of those intended, as Crice- 

 toniys (90) for Cricetu8 and Choeropotamus (100) 

 in place of Charodes (preoccupied) or Chcerop- 

 sis, and these might perplex some readers, 

 as there are genera legitimately bearing the 

 names so misused. Another error is manifest 

 in the statement that the Central American 

 tapirs ' were separated by the late Mr. Alston 

 as a distinct genus Elaamognathus ' (p. 109), that 

 differentiation having been effected by Gill and 

 Alston did not approve of it. 



Typographical errors occur to (or possibly, 

 slightly above) the normal extent we are accus- 

 tomed to find in works in which so many names 



of Greek or Latin origin are used. The follow- 

 ing have been found in a hasty perusal, and are 

 here noted for the benefit of readers : Charadrias 

 (8) for Charadriidee, Chserocampa (10) for Chcero- 

 campa, Jemlanica (21) for Jemlaica, Cinisternidse 

 (38) for Cinosternidee, Testudinse (39) for Testudi- 

 nidse, Fixys (39) for Pyxis, P'elomedusse (39) for 

 Pelomedusidse, Chelydidw (39, 40) for Chelyidse, 

 Carettochelydidae (39) for Carettochelyidae, Gecko- 

 tidse (40) for Geckonidse, Xanthusiidse (42) for 

 Xantusiidse, Loxoceniua (46) for Loxocemus, Dis- 

 cojjhidie (49) for Dyscophidse, Casarca (46) for " 

 Casarea, Panihalops (89, 92) for Pantholops, 

 Ipeyan (89) for Impeyan, Autrozous (93) for Antro- 

 zoiis, Ovibus (93) for Ovibos, PUohela (94) for 

 PhUohela, Cserebidse (107) for Ccerebidse, Bhym- 

 phmtklse (107) for Bhamphastidss, Mimocychla 

 (108) for Mimoeichla, Apterygiidae (113) for Apter- 

 ygidse, Starnsmas (108) for Starnoenas, Calsenas 

 (114) for Caloenas, HoplocMtonidse (171) for Hap- 

 lochitonidse, Paretroplopvs (178) for Paretroplus, 

 agestis (186) for agrestis, Mani (204) for Maui, 

 and Dicoeidse (204) for Dicseidss. 



Some others of new orthography perhaps have -a 

 been given as corrections, as Osteolieinus (43, 44) '^ 

 for Osteol&mus, although a number that would lA'C 

 much more bear correction are allowed to retain 

 their original form, such as Pediocoetes (97) for 

 Pedioecetes, and Lymnsea (142) for Limnsea. 

 Osteolssmiis indeed is perfectly in accord with 

 classical words, as, g. e. ba-eoyeve^ (Ai'istotle), 

 and a word frequently used by Mr. Beddard 

 himself — osteology. 



We would not be deemed to have examined 

 the work thus criticized with a censorious mind ; 

 recent inquiries into the margin of error in va- 

 rious publications have led us to apply the same 

 method to Mr. Beddard's volume, and we have 

 been incited by a spirit of curiosity rather than 

 of fault-finding. ' Balm ' for the errors he and his 

 printers have fallen into may be found in like 

 failings of others (see Science for July 26, 1895). ' ^ J 

 Really Mr. Beddard's work is a meritorious pro- 

 duction and contains much that would be looked 

 for in vain in larger works ; it will, indeed, be 

 of more use to some than a more bulky produc- 

 tion, and we wish for it all success. If a second 

 edition is called for, the corrections here made 

 may help the author to perfect it. 



Theo. Gill. 





