Miscellaneous Scientific Intelligence. 387 



nres. London, 1921 (Macraillan and Co.). — For nearly a quar- 

 ter of a century this has been a standard text and reference book 

 in all parts of the English-speaking world. The first volume 

 includes all groups of animals except the Chordates, each of the 

 chapters having been carefully revised from the earlier editions, 

 and the sections on the Nemathelndnthes, Molluscoidea and Annu- 

 lata considerably altered and improved. Still further revis- 

 ion might well have been made in some of the other groups, par- 

 ticularly in the classes Xemertea and Arachnida, to bring them 

 in line with the results of recent studies, but on the whole the 

 work is of such excellence that it will continue to hold its place 

 as the leading elementary text-book of Zoology in any language. 

 The second volume treats of primitive chordates and the verte- 

 brates, together with chapters on the .distribution of animals, the 

 philosophy of zoology, history of zoology, and literature. 



Experience with the earlier editions has shown that the book, 

 although sufficiently extensive to meet the needs of well advanced 

 students of zoology, has been so written as to make it intelligible 

 to those with no previous knowledge of the subject. The impor- 

 tant groups are each introduced by a detailed study of a typical 

 example, and with this as a basis the modifications of the organ 

 systems in the other members of the group are described. The 

 illustrations are widely known for their excellence and have been 

 copied extensively in other works. The printing of the new 

 edition, however, is not quite up to the high standard of the 

 earlier volumes. w. r. c. 



3. Reptiles of the Wo?*ld; Tortoises and Turtles, Croco- 

 dilians , Lizards and Snakes of the Eastern and Western Hemis- 

 pheres; by Raymond L. Ditmars. Pp. 373, with 89 plates. 

 New York, 1922 (The Macmillan Company). — Probably no one 

 in America has a wider knowledge of the life and habits of the 

 reptiles than the curator of this group of animals in the New 

 York Zoological Park. In this popular account of his pets, 

 Mr. Ditmars makes available to the general public as well as to 

 the scientific world the most interesting things about the crea- 

 tures to which he has devoted his life. In these days of special- 

 ization on minutiae it is pleasant to find a good old-fashioned 

 natural history, but this is old-fashioned only in the sense that the 

 subject is treated broadly and with a living interest, for it is 

 strictly up to date from a scientific standpoint and thoroughly 

 reliable. The illustrations are from photographs, most of which 

 were taken by the author from living specimens. The book con- 

 tains whatever is best worth knowing about these animals and the 

 reader who has the good fortune of spending a few hours with it 

 will no longer think of the reptiles as the repulsive creatures he 

 has imagined them, but will long to make a more intimate and 

 personal acquaintance with them. w. r. c. 



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