350 



scmjsrc^. 



[Vol. IX., No. 218 



present part takes up the other families, and com- 

 pletes the description of this group. He has 

 omitted detailed descriptions of species obtained 

 by the Challenger but already known to science, 

 except where needed for comparison with new 

 forms ; but when from a new locality or habitat, 

 the fact has been recorded. 



The Challenger collection is very rich in new 

 species, especially among the deep-water forms, 

 of which no less than thirty- eight are new to sci- 

 ence. Among the shallow- water forms the greater 

 number of novelties were from the neighbor- 

 hood of Kerguelen and Australia. The benthal 

 region is very irregular in its isopod fauna, if the 

 dredgings of the Challenger afford a criterion. 

 Over the central and southern Atlantic and cen- 

 tral and western Pacific no species at all were 

 found ; but where any occurred, they seemed to 

 comprise a considerable variety of forms. Thirty- 

 four of the abyssal isopods are totally blind, three 

 appear to have degenerate eyes, while eighteen 

 have well-developed eyes. But of the eleven genera 

 exclusively resident in the deep water, only two 

 have eyes ; of those remaining, seven belong to 

 genera which in shallow water always have eyes ; 

 while the remaining eighteen species belong to 

 genera which are blind whether in deep water 

 or not. The differences are not easily explained. 

 That some species should retain and others lose 

 their eyes under apparently similar conditions, 

 it is difficult to account for. Mr. Beddard sug- 

 gests that those retaining eyes are probably the 

 later emigrants to the abysses from the shallows. 



The deep-sea isopods are remarkable for the de- 

 velopment of spines on the body, especially in the 

 Arcturi, and often attain extraordinary size ; one, 

 Bathynomus gigaoteus, reaching a length of nine 

 inches. In these tendencies the abyssal species 

 resemble those of the polar seas, where the tem- 

 perature conditions are not dissimilar. 



The report on the Brachyura, by Edward J. 

 Miers, is devoted to a systematic account of the 

 numerous species collected, with revision of the 

 classification, and lists, as complete as possible, of 

 the recent species of each genus not included in 

 recent and accessible monographs. The genera 

 have been rediagnosed on a uniform plan, thus 

 furnishing a most useful supplement to these 

 moncgraphs, and preparing the way for a cata- 

 logue of the Brachyura, — a work much needed 

 by students of the higher Crustacea. The author 

 regrets that ill health has prevented hiai from add- 

 ing a bibliography and other useful details, and 

 even from personally revising the proofs, and in 

 general attaining the high standard of perfection 

 which he aimed at, though doubtless such faults 

 or deficiencies are much more apparent to him 



than to those who will gratefully appreciate and 

 use the results of his arduous studies. 



The abyssal region of the ocean affords no Bra- 

 chyura at all, but few occur in depths of over 

 five hundred fathoms. The great mass of the col- 

 lection is from shallow waters, and its novelties 

 chiefly from the less-explored coasts and islands 

 of the Indo-Pacific region. There were but two 

 species, both belonging to the genus Ethusa, 

 taken in over one thousand fathoms : one of these, 

 E. Challengeri Miers from 1875, is from the great- 

 est depth recorded for any true crab. 



The report on the Polyzoa Cyclostomata, Ctenos- 

 tomata and Pedicellinea, by George Busk, pos- 

 sesses a melancholy interest as the last production 

 of that veteran and indefatigable naturalist. The 

 revision of the proofs was performed by him only 

 a few weeks before his death. 



Forty-six species were collected by the Challen- 

 ger, of which thirteen are regarded as new. Of 

 the thirty-three cyclostomate forms, thirteen had 

 previously been known in a fossil state. This group 

 alone reaches deep water ; and of the species, only 

 two were obtained from more than one thousand 

 fathoms, and none from over fifteen hundred 

 fathoms. One of the above dredged in sixteen 

 hundred fathoms is also known from various 

 depths up to fifty fathoms. None of the forms 

 described appear to be particularly remarkable. 



Dr. Chapman, in the Medical and surgical 

 reporter, says that nine-tenths of wild animals in 

 confinement are subject to heart-disease, although 

 all animals have their peculiarities. The elephants 

 are heirs to many diseases, but the most common 

 and fatal is rheumatism. Monkeys and baboons 

 generally die from bronchial affections and heart- 

 disease ; felines, such as lions, tigers, leopards, 

 etc., from dysentery and heart-disease ; deer, 

 antelopes, etc., suffer most from dysentery and 

 heart-disease ; while the canine tribe, such as 

 wolves, dingoes, and foxes don't seem to be sub- 

 ject to any disease except ' pure cussedness.' The 

 only thing to be feared in the wolf tribe is too 

 much sociability. It is unsafe to keep more than 

 a pair together ; otherwise they would eat each 

 other. 



— Under a law which has just passed the Min- 

 nesota legislature, the restrictions placed upon the 

 practice of medicine in that state will be more se- 

 vere than in any other part of the United States. 

 All persons who wish to practise medicine after 

 July 1 must pass an examination before a board 

 of nine persons, irrespective of whether they hold 

 regular diplomas or not, and only those who have 

 taken three courses of medical lectures will be per- 

 mitted to the examination. 



