1885.] Zoology. 513 
have published in the Proceedings of the Canadian Institute of 
Toronto “ Contributions to the anatomy of Amiurus.” The papers 
erve as a contribution to the morphology of a comparatively 
little known family of fishes, and will also be of use to teachers of 
comparative anatomy. The skin and cutaneous sense-organs as 
well as the nervous system and sense-organs are described and 
figured by Professor Wright; the osteology and myology by 
Professor McMurrich, the alimentary canal, liver, pancreas and 
air-bladder by Mr. McCallum, which Mr. McKenzie has worked 
out the blood-vascular system, ductless glands and urogenital 
system. The work comprises 206 pages, and is illustrated by 
eight folding heliotypic plates. 
Professor Wright describes certain structures which are appa- 
rently comparable to the nerve-sacs of the ganoids; he also dis- 
cusses the relationship between the air-bladder and the auditory 
labyrinth. The work is another of the monographic essays now 
appearing from time to time, and affords the modern student aids 
and facilities such as were entirely unknown a generation ago. 
THE SPIRACLES OF AMIA AND LEPIDOSTEUS.—My note on this 
subject in the February NATURALIST requires modification, in so 
far as what I took to be the oral aperture of the spiracle in Amia 
is really the aperture of a canal in which the pseudobranchia lies, 
and into which the spiracular cleft opens further forwards. The 
pseudobranchia of Amia is homologous with the upper (non-res- 
piratory) part of the opercular gill in Lepidosteus ; both are in- 
nervated by the anterior branch of the glossopharyngeus, but the 
pseudobranchia of Lepidosteus is free, while that of Amia is con- 
cealed in what may be termed a pseudobranchial canal. The sin- 
gular continuity of this canal with the spiracular cleft induced me 
to believe that I had found evidence to justify Dohrn’s criticism 
of Gegenbaur’s views as to the homology of the pseudobranchia 
of the Teleosts, but I am now convinced that the condition of the 
rts in Amia proves Gegenbaur’s position to be correct.—R. 
Ramsay Wright, University College, Toronto, February ro, 1885. 
BirDS OUT OF SEASON—A TRAGEDY.—Our winter so far has 
been one of unusual severity, such low temperatures as — 20° to 
— 35° having prevailed quite often. Whole weeks have passed in 
which the mercury has not risen above zero! But during all this 
time, until the afternoon of the 18th instant—‘a chewink” 
(Pipilo erythrophthalmus) has lived about my orchard and barn- 
yard. I am unaccustomed to seeing much of this species, except 
in early spring, upon their return from the South. It br 
here, but is a very quiet bird through the summer and autumn— 
at least, it has only been upon rare occasions that I have seen it, 
But soon after winter set in I saw the one in question in the barn- 
yard, where he seemed to be feeding upon some scattered grain 
Later I found him one very cold afternoon in a “ straw-built shed, 
VOL, XIX.—NO, V. 33 
. 
, 
