486 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



store them, and no space in the Museum building to exhibit such of the 

 objects as should properly be shown to the public. As I have already 

 pointed out, there is probably no museum in the world in which so small a 

 proportion of the objects worthy of exhibition is visible to the public, or in 

 which the objects are crowded together so closely. It is now more true 

 than ever that if another museum building as large as the present one were 

 provided, it could be at once filled with specimens already on hand." We 

 feel no doubt that our American cousins will be equal to the occasion. 



Our well-known contributor, Mr. J. Steele-Elliott, has favoured us with 

 the first instalment towards 'The Vertebrate Fauna of Bedfordshire.' This 

 is not only excellently printed on good paper, but is also issued for private 

 circulation, a most commendable instance of a true zoological spirit, and 

 one that should meet with warm appreciation, especially as Bedfordshire 

 " has received less attention than almost any other county." The work has 

 commenced with the birds, and the author informs us that when complete 

 it is expected that the first volume will be devoted to Aves, and the second 

 volume will embrace Mammals, Reptiles, Amphibians, and Fishes. We 

 trust nothing will interfere with the due completion of a very useful book. 



Mr. T. D. A. Cockerell has contributed to the ' Proc. United States 

 Museum ' a memoir on " The Food Plants of Scale Insects {Coccida)." The 

 author remarks that two practical points may be emphasized — one, the 

 unexpected number of Coccids found on many of the cultivated trees and 

 shrubs; and the other, the frequency with which species dangerous to 

 fruit trees will occur on ornamental plants, which may be carried from place 

 to place, and be the means of disseminating the scales. " It must, of 

 course, be understood that the plants given as the hosts of Coccida have 

 been in very many cases so infested only since they came into cultivation. 

 It would be very desirable to distinguish in every case between the endo- 

 genetic and exogenetic Coccids on a plant, and also between those exogenetic 

 in a state of nature, and those only so in cultivation. But to do this would 

 require more information than we at present possess." This is a welcome 

 memoir on the subject, bringing the bibliography up to date, and giving a 

 botanical classification to these insect-pests. 



We have received from Messrs. Adam and Charles Black a pamphlet 

 written by J. C. Ewart, Regius Professor of Natural History, Edinburgh, 

 on ■ A Critical Period in the Development of the Horse.' We read that, 

 according to the evidence obtained by the Royal Commission on Horse 

 Breeding, it appears that about forty per cent, of the mares selected for 



