REVIEW. 241 
(6.) “On a variety of Ovulum depressum, from the Loyalty 
Islands,” by Mr. R. C. Rossiter. 
.) “ Notes on the nidification of the Spoon-bill, the Heron, 
and the Night Heron,” by K. H. Bennett, Esq. In this paper an 
interesting account of visits to the breeding places of the above- 
mentioned birds is given. 
A number of interesting exhibits were shown by various 
gentlemen. 
REV EW 
———_>—___. 
“JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF 
NEW SOUTH WALES, 1881,” Vol. XV. Edited by Pro- 
fessor A. Leversidge. 
inea review in a récent issue of this journal jof the’ “Cata= 
logue of Australian Crustacea,” lately published by the Trustees 
of the Australian Museum, attention was called to the immense 
impetus which scientific work had received of late in the sister 
colonies. The volume before us is another indication of this 
increased activity. The anniversary address of the late presi- 
dent, the Hon. Professor Smith, delivered on 4th May of last 
year, gives an interesting account of the early struggles of the 
Philosophical Society (the predecessor of the present Society), 
and of the narrow escape it had from total collapse in 1866. In 
that year a change in the constitution was made along with the 
change of name, and affairs for a time were considerably 
improved. It was not, however, till 1875, when the Society took 
possession of their new hall in Elizabeth street, and appointed 
Professor Liversidge and Dr. Leibius to the joint-secretaryship, 
that the recent increased activity began to manifest itself. A 
well-merited encomium is passed upon both these gentlemen for 
their “enlightened zeal and indefatigable labours.” 
The present volume contains eleven papers, all of which are 
valuable additions to the scientific records of Australia. Of 
these, Mr. H. C. Russell, Government astronomer, contributes 
three—viz., “The Spectrum and appearance of the recent 
Comet”; “Transit of Mercury, Nov. 8th, 1881”; and “New 
Double Stars, and measures of some of those found by Sir 
John Herschel.” The last-mentioned paper will be found of 
great value to astronomers working in the Southern Hemi- 
sphere, as it records the re-measurements of about 746 of 
Herschel’s stars—some of them many times over,—and the 
discovery of 350 new double stars. As Mr. Russell’s object was 
to re-measure all Herschel’s close stars south of 34° south 
declination, he points out that the number of new stars might 
easily have been doubled had he devoted his attention to this 
work, and extended his limits of observation. Many of the 
stars (forty-six in number) in the Cape list could not be found. 
Mr. Russell considers that, while some may have been over- 
looked from changed magnitudes and other causes, most are the 
