; a rom the 
122 Recent Literature. _[February, 
as to the hydroid nature of Millepora, first suggested by Agassiz 
and endorsed by Verrill. The present admirable and masterly 
study certainly proves, beyond doubt, the hydroid nature of the 
family of beautiful coral-like structures, called from the name of 
the typical genus (Stylaster) Siylasteride. 
Most of the specimens studied by Mr. Moseley were obtained 
at a single haul of the dredge aboard the Challenger, at a depth of 
600 fathoms, off the mouth of the Rio de la Plata, in 1876, It 
was the examination of this set of specimens which first convinced 
him that the Sty/asteride were Hydroids and not Anthozoans. 
The hard and soft parts are described and very fully and beau- 
tifully Hoke the drawings being large and thoroughly 
intelligible 
As in most all Hydroids, the sexes are on different stocks which 
have a tendency to grow ina flabellate form with alternate germi- 
nation. The family is placed with the Milleporidæ in a separate 
sub-order named by Mosely, Hydrocoraline. This sub-order, its 
families and genera, are described in full, and an essay is given on 
the pedigree of the Hydrocoralline. The author suggests the 
former existence of a hypothetical Archistylaster, and regards 
Sporadopora as “ the most ancestral Stylasterid at present known.” 
The essay closes with a short chapter on the distribution in space 
and time of the S¢ty/asteride. 
T BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS.—Report upon the. Reptiles and lees, 
colleeied SA the yoan of 1875, 1876 and eae in Teda s eee and Nev 
a r. H. C. Yarrow and H. W. Henshaw. Washington 8. meei pp. 2 
marine Fishes Soes on the coast of California, a near Santa Hakan] in 
a with notes H. C. Yarrow and H. .W. Henshaw. Washington, 
1878. 8vo, : 
On the ES abled SF eae being a contribution ss the o of th 
Exo-skeleton in “ Reptili By Prof. Owen, , F.R.S., etc. (Reprinted frei 
the Journal of the Royal Siieroscopical Socie PA Tada: 1878. 8vo, pp. 4. 
Preliminary Report of the field work of the U.S. ee ie ge and ngs d 
Survey of the Territories for the season of 1878. By F. V. Hayden. Append 
oe reprints of early papers by the = from the Aineti Journal of Sci. 
ence and Arts. Washington, D.C. 8vo, 
i Nauman in the Madila Islands. By Chale B. Cary. (Illustrated.) 8vo, 
cloth, pp. 93. Boston, 1878. From the a ‘ 
Proceedings of the inode of Natural pees of Philadelphia, 1878. 8vo, pp. 
329-376. From the Society 
The American TER ay Science and Arts, No. 97, Vol. xvii, Jan. 1879. 8vo, 
& E 
pp. 1-92, pls. iii-x. New Hav sue D. & E. S. Dana, 1879. 
The Fossil Insects Bs the Green River Shales. By = ges H. Scudder, Cam- 
bridge, Mass. iy m the Bulletin of the U. S. Geol. and Geograph. Survey, 
No. ayden, U. S. oe in- Ton 8vo, pp. 747-776. 
Washington, Dée, I, ee From the author 
Hand-book of Alabama; a complete pave to the State, with a geological map 
and an cia es of useful tables. By Saffold Berney, attorney at law, Mobile, Ala. 
Svo 338. Mobile, 1878. Fro the author. a 
p b: the- Honing of one By Eugene A. Smith, Ph.D., State geolo- 
te om Berney’s Hand-book.) 8vo, pp. 68, with map. Mobile, fae 
