Miscellaneous. 235 



the embryo Vorticella, it is stated that its pulsations were less rapid 

 than in the full-formed animalcule ; a circumstance at variance with 

 analogy ; for, in the embryos of higher animals, the contractions 

 of the cardiac vesicle, or punctum saliens, are more frequent than 

 those of the circulating sac in the adult. Moreover, if such a perfect 

 system of organs, presenting a cardiac and a respiratory sac, be ob- 

 servable in the Vorticella, it must surely elevate that genus consider- 

 ably in the scale of animals, and place it far above the majority of 

 the polygastric Infusoria. And, consequently, if such a complex or- 

 ganism can be shown in the Vorticella, we are not to attribute alike 

 one to those other Infusoria with which that family is at present asso- 

 ciated ; for the Monads, the Amoebae, &c., are surely but one remove 

 from homogeneous organic matter. — J. T. A.] 



British Museum, Zoological Department. — Conchology. 



It is suggested that the fields of the tablets on which shells are 

 fastened should be stained with different colours corresponding to 

 the following grand geographical divisions, which may be termed 

 "generic :" I.Europe; 2. Asia and its islands; S.Africa; 4. Australia; 

 5. Polynesia; 6. North America ; 7. South America. 



Smaller specific geographical divisions might be indicated by a 

 narrow border of a different colour to each tablet. When the loca- 

 lity may be unknown, the tablet may remain white until further in- 

 formation can be acquired. Such a plan would interfere in no wise 

 with the arrangement of species according to their affinities, while it 

 would facilitate the researches of the student, who could, at a glance, 

 ascertain the country of a particular species, or direct his attention, 

 in rapid succession, to all the denizens of the particular tract regard- 

 ing which he is desirous of gaining information, merely by reference 

 to an index-card showing the colours of the divisions and subdivisions. 

 The specific subdivisions may be increased to any extent desirable by 

 the use of double or treble borders of diverse colours. 



The above is offered as an improvement on the system in use in 

 some private entomological cabinets of distinguishing indigenous 

 British species by a ticket of a conspicuous colour. — W. H. B. 



February 24, 1849. 



English Wild Beasts a Century and a half ago. 



*' At Enfield, hardly out of the sight of smoke of the capital, was a 

 region of five and twenty miles in circumference which contained 

 only three houses and scarcely any inclosed fields. Deer as free as 

 in an American forest wandered there by thousands. It is to be 

 remarked, that wild animals of large size were then far more nume- 

 rous than at present. The last wild boars, indeed, which had been 

 preserved for the royal diversion, and had been allowed to ravage 

 the cultivated land with their tusks, had been slaughtered by the 

 exasperated rustics during the license of the civil war. The last 

 wolf that has roamed our island had been slain in Scotland a short 

 time before the close of the reign of Charles the Second. But many 



