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SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



NOTICES BY JOHN T. CARRINGTON. 



The Cambridge Natural History. Edited by S. F. 

 Harmer, M.A. and A. E. Shipley, M.A. Vol. ii. 

 Worms, Rotifers and Polyzoa, by several authors. 

 560 pp. large Svo, illustrated by 257 figures. 



Sheldon; "Thread-worms and Sagitta," by A. E 

 Shipley, M.A. ; "Rotifers," by Marcus Hartog, 

 M.A. ; " Polychaet Worms," by W. Blaxland 

 Benham, D.Sc. ; " Earthworms and Leeches," 

 by F. E, Beddard, M.A. ; " Gephyrea and 

 Phoronis," by A. E. Shipley, M.A. ; "Polyzoa," 

 by S. F. Harmer, M.A. The monographs bring 

 the knowledge of their respective subjects to 

 synchronize with the latest researches. They are 

 not intended to deal with the known species in 

 each order, but treat generally with the cycle of 

 existence of the groups and their various anatomi- 

 cal features. Though perhaps less attractive than 

 some other volumes of the series, vol. ii. is by no 

 means the least important, for it places at the 



E c 



Heads of various Polychaeta (Diagrammatic), 



From " The Cambridge Natural History," Vol. ii. 



A, Polynoid ; b, Syllid; c, Neplitys ; D, Eunice; e, Pliyllodoce ; f, Trophonia ; a, prostr-mium ; 

 c, normal cirrus; ci, peristomial cirri ; c-, cirrus of second segment ; c^, cirrus of third segment; 

 e/i, point of attachment of elytron ;j p, palp ; s, nuchal organ (ciliated pit) ; t, tentacle ; i., peristo- 

 mium ; 11., iii., iv., segments. 



(London and New York: Macmillan and Co., 

 Limited, 1896.) 17s. net. 



The new volume of " The Cambridge Natural 

 History" just issued fully maintains the high 

 character of the preceding volumes. It is the 

 third of the series which has been issued. It deals 

 with a group of animals which are little under- 

 stood by ordinary readers, although some of the 

 aquatic and terrestrial species have latterly com- 

 manded considerable attention. The pages of the 

 book before us are divided into eight sections, 

 which are: " Flatworms and Mesozoa," by F. W. 

 Gamble, M.Sc. ; " Memertines," by Miss L. 



disposal of students and general readers a mass of 

 information which could not be readily attained 

 without considerable research in somewhat scat- 

 tered literature. Considering how comparatively 

 little worked are some of these groups, the pub- 

 lication of this volume cannot fail to give an 

 impetus to their investigation. Preceding the 

 work is a " Scheme of the Classification " adopted 

 in the book, in which our readers will find 

 some alterations from the older works, but they 

 naturally become inevitable with the advance of 

 scientific investigation. We are pleased to note 

 that, although dealing with technical details, the 



