XVI PEOCEEDI^^GS OF THE 



many years, perhaps since the second edition of Cuvier's Kegne 

 Animal, is Bronn's ' Klassen und Ordnungen des Thierreichs,' 

 which is still in progress, — the portion treating of the Mollusca 

 having been continued since the death of the distinguished pro- 

 jector of the work, and completed last year by Dr. Keferstein, 

 whilst the section relating to the Arthropod classes has lately 

 been commenced by Dr. Grerstacker. This work is remarkable for 

 the immense amount of information which is brought together in 

 its pages, and for the copiousness of its illustrations. The ' Philo- 

 sophia Zoologica,' of Professor Van der Hoeven, published at 

 Leyden in 1864, may also be noticed here, although only as 

 placing known facts occasionally in a somewhat new light. But 

 the most important publication connected with the progress of 

 general zoology, of the period over which we have to glance, is the 

 first volume of the ' Record of Zoological Literature,' containing 

 an abstract of the zoological works and papers published in 1864. 

 For the production of this work, zoologists are indebted to Mr. 

 Van Voorst, one of the Fellows of this Society, and to the zeal of 

 Dr. Giinther, of the British Museum, aided by a staff of well-known 

 coadjutors. The enormous extent to which the literature of 

 zoology has attained at the present day, may be judged from the 

 fact, stated by Dr. Griinther, that the ' Eecord ' for 1864 forms a 

 guide to scientific works and papers occupying more than 25,000 

 pages ; and these do not constitute the whole of the publications 

 of that year. 



Taking now the several primary classes of the Animal Kingdom 

 separately, we must refer, in the first place, to the great work of 

 our distinguished Fellow, Professor Owen, the ' Comparative Ana- 

 tomy and Physiology of Vertebrates,' two volumes of which, coni- 

 pleting the anatomical review of the structure of vertebrate 

 animals, have made their appearance. It will be unnecessary to 

 attempt any criticism of the contents of these volumes. Other 

 naturalists may dissent from Professor Owen's views as regards 

 certain points both of classification and of the interpretation of 

 anatomical facts ; but they will nevertheless find in this book a 

 clear enunciation of the results of widely extended researches. 



The investigations of zoologists upon the class of Mammalia 

 seem to have been directed of late more especially to two orders, 

 the Chiroptera and the Cetacea, both of which present consider- 

 able and peculiar difficulties in their study ; and the most im- 

 portant works upon this class lately issued have reference to 

 these groups. The Smithsonian Institution has published a 



