The Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 447 



the oldest transition rocks, are supposed by Von Buch to have been 

 another of the numerous forms of Encrinites or Crinoides. 



The third paper is a catalogue of the land and fresh water Mol- 

 lusca of Ireland, by Mr. Thompson, who affords a bright example to 

 his countrymen in all that relates to Natural History. 



The next paper is entitled " Observations on the spiral forma- 

 tions in the cells of Plants," by Dr. J. Schleiden, Professor of Botany 

 in the University of Jena, succeeded by several botanical papers, by 

 Professor Nees Von Esenbeck, Professor Lindley, Messrs. Babington, 

 Henderson, Leighton, and others. 



Professor Von. Esenbeck's paper affords the characters of above 30 

 species and two new genera of New Holland, Cyperacece, Restiacece,a,nd 

 Guncacea. Mr. Henderson's paper relates to the structure of the stigma 

 in Mimulus and Diplacus, and its excitable property. The latter is 

 remarked by the Editor to have been hang known, but the elongated 

 cylindric cells of the inner surface of the stigma terminating in taper- 

 ing jointed glandular hairs, have not it is said, been before noticed. 

 Professor Lindley in a note upon the genus Decaisnia of M. A. Broug- 

 niart, points out its identity with Prescottia. Mr. J. O. Westwood on 

 the genus Typhlopone, with the description of several species from In- 

 dia, Java, and South America. A paper by Dr. Philippi, from which it 

 appears he has made the curious discovery that the genus Zoe, dis- 

 covered by Base, and placed by Latreille between Polyphemus and 

 Cyclopsa, is nothing more than the young Pagurus Hungarus. A paper 

 on the generation of Entozoa, by Dr. Drummond, a subject closely 

 connected with medicine, and regarding which there is little or 

 nothing known. Of the other Zoological papers of great interest, 

 we can only notice that of Mr. Gray, keeper of the Zoological col- 

 lection in the British Museum, entitled a Synopsis of the genera and 

 species of Starfish. Mr. Gray remarks very truly that few persons 

 have hitherto attempted to divide the Starfishes into natural groups, 

 and that the attempts of Nardo and M. Agassiz have been little 

 more than merely to change the names of the divisions previously 

 formed by Linck, who divides the true starfishes, Asterias, Linn, into 

 two great divisions, stellis fissis, and stellis integris, according to the 

 presence or absence of ambulacra on the under- surface of the arms. 



Of the latter, Mr. Gray seems to form a new class, Hypostoma, 

 which will probably embrace about one-fiftieth part of this division 



