1883. ] Zoology. 95 
iorly.——M. F. Lataste (Buil. Soc. Zool. de France, Nov., 1881), 
describes a new species of Ctenodactylus, C. mzaéi,a rodent of the 
Algerian Sahara. The remaining species are C. massoni, from 
S. Africa, and C. gundi, also from the Sahara. The toes of C 
gundi are furnished on their inner face with horny tubercles, and 
probably similar tubercles were mistaken by Gray, in the Cape 
species for the “ pectinated osseous appendages,” that he insists 
on in characterizing the genus. In the same volume, M. A. 
Certes narrates his experience with infusorian, and other germs. 
Water from Chott Timrit (Algiers), was evaporated in the sun in 
March, 1878. In April, 1881, the sediment was placed in boiled 
and filtered water, protected carefully from outside germs. Next 
day infusorians appeared, and in the beginning of June the nauplii 
of Artemia salina were visible, and rapidly grew. In the Bulle 
tin of the same Society for 1882, Dr. Dybowski brings together 
some interesting particulars respecting the family Mormonide 
(puffins). Eight species are known, one, Fratercula arctica, with 
two distinct races. The last species is peculiar to the N. Atlantic, 
while the other seven inhabit the N. Pacific, Kamtschatka, and 
the neighboring isles. Most nest in the crevices of rocks, but 
Lunda cirrhata prefer the plateaux on the margins of rocky islets. 
They leave Kamtschatka in October, and return at the end of 
May; a single egg is laid, and both sexes sit upon it——lIn the 
Annals and Magazine of Natural History, the Rev. T. Hincks 
gives proofs of the homology of the vibraculum of the polyzoa, 
with the avicularium. The vibratile portion of the latter is an 
extension of the mandible, while the rest of the beak supplies a 
Support and terminal notch in which the seta plays. Specimens 
of Microperella ciliata from various parts of the world, exhibit 
Stages from the beak to the long seta, with its support, while in 
others it is modified into a flapper. In view of this instability of 
avicularian structure, the writer is disposed to differ from those 
Who assign it a high value in classification. The same writer, 
in the ninth of a series of contributions towards a general history 
of the Polyzoa, describes five new species of that group. Mr. 
S. O. Ridley describes three new species of Gorgoniidz, two from 
the Mauritius, and one from Burmah. H. J. Carter describes a 
llepora of asteroid form, clustered around an empty shell, and 
a Palythoa of branched form, also on a shell, both from Senegam- 
bia——The same naturalist describes twenty species of sponges, 
from the West Indies, and Acapulco, with valuable notices on 
other species. Among other facts, the author states that Chon- 
ta nucula, though nearly as hard as wood when dry, imbibes 
Moisture and swells like the common sponge, becoming tough 
and elastic like India-rubber; and that. Spongia officinalis of the 
West is identical with that of the Mediterranean, the Ca 
the world generally, coarser and finer forms occuring together. 
——Prof. W. I. Sollas gives an exhaustive description of three 
