Notices of New Books. 3871 



* Rambles in Ceylon.' By Edgar Leopold Layard, Esq. 



Bibliographical Notices : — ' Principles of the Anatomy and Phy- 

 siology of the Vegetable Cell/ By Hugo Von Mohl. ' Handbuch 

 der Conchyliologie und Malacozoologie.' By Dr. R. A. Philippi. 



Proceedings of Learned Societies: — Royal — Zoological — Botani- 

 cal of Edinburgh — Dublin University Zoological Association — Ento- 

 mological. 



Miscellaneous : — Eucratea chelata ; by John Coppin. A new 

 genus and species of Crustacea ; by James Eights. On the Coleo- 

 pterous Insects of the genus Cebrio ; by M. Guerin Meneville. On 

 the Reproduction of the Toad and Frog without the intermediate 

 stage of Tadpole ; by Edward Joseph Lowe, Esq., F.G.S., F.R.A.S. 



Mr. Lowe's paper on the reproduction of frogs and toads without 

 the intermediate stage of tadpole, is one of great interest, and is not 

 altogether unsupported by the previous observations of naturalists. 

 The same facts have been repeatedly asserted of several exotic species 

 of toad ; and kindred facts have been observed in this country of the 

 reproduction of the common salamander in confinement. Neverthe- 

 less, in reading the five positions laid down by Mr. Lowe, which are 

 given verbatim below, it is impossible not to observe that some of the 

 inferences drawn are not sequent on the premises. More exact and 

 methodical observations are required before we can receive this de- 

 parture from Nature's laws as an established fact. 



u First : — Toads deposit Spawn in Cellars, and Young Toads are 

 afterwards observed. 



" Last summer several masses of spawn were procured from my 

 cellar, having been found deposited amongst decaying potatoes, &c. ; 

 and subsequently young toads were noticed. The cellar is free from 

 water, and at a considerable distance from any brook." 



In this observation spawn is stated to have been present ; but, al- 

 though under the author's own eye, no attempt appears to have been 

 made to trace a connexion between the spawn and the young toads. 

 The deposition of toads' spawn in masses, moreover, is at variance 

 with my own experience : I have always found it in ropes, after the 

 fashion of a string of beads. 



" Secondly : — Young Toads are observed about hot-beds. 



"In the kitchen-garden at Highfield House (which is entirely walled 

 round), young toads have been noticed about the cucumber and me- 

 lon beds. The gardeners have been in the habit of bringing toads to 

 these beds to destroy the insects : these have continued amongst the 



