Botany and Zoology. 



107 



7. Monograph of the Shallow-water Starfishes of the North 

 Pacific Coast, from the Arctic Ocean to California. Smith- 

 sonian Institution, Harriman Alaska Series, vol. xiv. Part I. 

 Text, 408 pages: Part II, 110 plates, April, 1914; by A. E. 

 Verrill. — This work, which has been delayed for several years, 

 owing to various causes, stated in the preface, includes descrip- 

 tions and illustrations of practically all the families, genera, and 

 species now known to occur between San Francisco and the 

 Arctic Ocean in waters less than 60 fathoms deep. 



The Introduction includes a general account of the morphology, 

 habits, classification, variations, hybridism, peculiarities and rela- 

 tions of the fauna, etc. 



As a very large proportion of the species belong to the 

 Forcipulosa, and especially to the family Asterridse, nearly half 

 of the work is devoted to that group, of which the structure and 

 development, as well as the classification, are discussed in detail. 

 Much use is made of the structure of the pedicellarise, of which 

 an unusually large number are figured. About 100 species are 

 described from this region, besides about 20 named varieties. 

 Analytical tables are supplied for the larger and more difficult 

 families. The Geographical Distribution is discussed and faunal 

 lists are given on pp. 337-374. This includes a comparison with 

 the Patagonian and Antarctic fauna?, with revisions of many of 

 the genera and species of that region. 



Seventeen new genera are established, as well as numerous 

 new species. The Bibliographical List which includes a large 

 number of titles, covers 14 pages. Many titles relate to the 

 arctic faunae, for many arctic and circumpolar species occur on 

 the northern coasts of Alaska. 



The volume of plates includes general figures, as well as details, 

 of nearly all the species. The general figures are heliotype 

 plates, from photographs. Among these are figures of the orig- 

 inal types of the various species described by Dr. Wm. Stimp- 

 son, many years ago and never before figured. The microscopic 

 details of pedicellariae, spines, etc., which occupy many plates, 

 are from camera-lucida drawings by A. H. Verrill, and will prove 

 to be of great value in the identification of species. 



A few typographical errors have been noticed: On page 204, 

 Alvelata should read Avelata ; page 178, line 12 from bottom 

 should be omitted, for No. 1181 is the Asterias Katherinoz, 

 described on p. 112. a. e. v. 



8. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum. Vol. II; edited by 

 the Director, R. Hamlyn- Harris. Issued December 10, 1913. 

 Pp. 339 ; 22 pis, Brisbane. — The papers in this volume are in 

 part ethnographical, in part devoted to Natural History. The 

 memoir on Queensland fishes, profusely illustrated, is of especial 

 interest ; also one on the Australian Hymenoptera Chalcidoidea 

 by A. A. Girault ; this is a supplement to a paper in "Vol. I of the 

 Museum Memoirs. 



