Botany and Zoology. 277 
most important collections ; and disposing the whole in a system, which, 
while it aims to retain all that was most valuable in the old, gives us, as 
it should, the whole light of modern (microscopical) science upon bot 
old and new. We have only room to add here that “ Usnea lacunosa, 
Willd,” is a name found only in Willdenow’s herbarium, and was antici- 
pated in print by U. cavernosa, published by the present writer, in the 
appendix to Ayassiz’s tour to Lake Superior. Messrs. Westermann and 
Company of New York, will receive subscriptions to the synopsis, which 
is put at a moderate price for so handsome a book. E. T. 
& 
D. Washington, D. C., 1858 
Of recent contributions to our knowledge of special Faunas, none have 
been of greater importance or interest than the report on the Fishes of 
Western North America. In this volume, Dr. Girard has incorporated 
almost everything known to the date of publication concerning the Ich- 
thyology of our Pacific possessions. ‘ 
In the introductory remarks, (which with some variations, are duplica- 
iew is given of 
1853-6, &e., vol. x. Washington, 1859.—FISHES; by Cuar.es Girarp, 
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America. The families which are richest in genera and species, and 
Which are most characteristic of the Californian Fauna especially, are 
those of the Cataphracti, the Blennoids, the Embiotocoids, and the leu- 
Tonectoids, Of all these families, many new genera, p eviously indicated 
in the “ Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Science of Philadelphia, 
are described and illustrated. 
orders, suborders and families of which representatives are leseribed, are 
all characterized ; the genus Amblodon, however, is retained in the family 
of Scienoids; this should in strict accordance with the principles of that 
classification, be transferred to the order of Pharyngognathi. Agassiz has 
demonstrated the union of the lower pharyngeal bones, the only character 
on which the order depends. Dr. Girard ‘does not appear to have noticed 
is discovery as he has not adverted to it in the generic diagnosis of 
Amblodon 
Of the fecatly of Percoids, representatives of only one genus are yet 
known as inhabitants of the Pacific coast. This genus has been described 
‘my. It is here placed in the vicinity of Serranus. 3 
Many fresh water Percoids are denscibel belonging to the genera 
Dioplites Raf, Pomozis Raf. Ambloplites Raf, Calliurus Raf, Bryttus 
Val, Pomotis Raf., Labrar Cuv., and Stizostedion Raf. The species de- 
Seribed have been collected in many distant places west of the Mississippi 
ale but one species ( Ambloplites interruptus) having been obtained in 
Aitornia, 
: The hame of Dioplites has been substituted for Grystes of Cuvier. It 
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