4374 Notices of New Books. 



NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 



' The Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Herald, under the command 

 of Captain Henry Kellett, R.N., C.B., during the years 

 1845 — 51.' Published under the authority of the Lords Com- 

 missioners of the Admiralty. Fossil Mammals. By Sir John 

 Richardson, Knt., C.B., M.D., F.R.S. London : Reeve & Co. 

 1852. 100 pp. Royal 4to with 15 folio Plates, price 21s.; and 

 40 pp. Royal 4to with 8 folio Plates, price 10s. 6d. 



We find no advertisement, preface, or explanatory introduction, to 

 inform us of the plan or extent of this truly splendid work, neither do 

 the portions before us bear on the wrapper or title-page any such 

 useful subtitle as "Part" or "Number" or "Fasciculus 1 or 2," or 

 any other indication whether they constitute a portion or the whole of 

 the work intituled the Zoology of the Herald. This is the more re- 

 markable in contrast with the lucid arrangement of the botanical ac- 

 count of the same voyage, in which we had a succinct programme of 

 the whole before the first division was commeuced. We may further 

 remark, that we are disappointed in finding no account of the recent 

 Fauna of the countries visited by the officers of the Herald : this is 

 doubtless in reserve, and will in due time make its appearance. After 

 stating these objections to the plan, or, speaking with greater preci- 

 sion, the want of plan of this handsome quarto, we are ready to bear 

 our testimony to the sterling value of what is before us. Whatever 

 Sir John Richardson undertakes, he accomplishes ; whatever he does, 

 he does well : no descriptions of fishes in our own or any language 

 can vie with his in laborious and unmistakeable accuracy; and although 

 this division of Vertebrates appears to have obtained his more espe- 

 cial attention, yet he is perfectly at home in many other branches of 

 Natural History, and in none more so than in the osteology of Mam- 

 malia, whether recent or extinct. We quote entire the introductory 

 observations on the Fossil-Bone Deposit in Eschscholtz Bay, believ- 

 ing that this valuable document will be acceptable to our readers, and 

 knowing that an author is always pleased to find his own views pour- 

 trayed in his own words. 



" The science of Chemistry, as at present taught, justifies our be- 

 lief that animal substances, when solidly frozen and kept steadily in 

 a temperature below the freezing point, do not undergo putrefaction, 

 and may be preserved without change for any conceivable length of 

 time. The depth to which, in northern countries, the summer thaw 



