No.462] .,  OTËS AND LITERATURE. 413 
some cases the backgrounds had been omitted entirely, as in the 
figure of the sawfish (p. 435), the chimera (p. 431), and others. It 
is a question, too, whether the painting-in of other backgrounds in 
photographs is legitimate in a book of this nature, and whether it is 
not apt to be misleading to beginners when no explanation is given. 
One might imagine, for example, that the puma (p. 20) is a docile 
beast which poses calmly in its mountain home in order to be photo- 
graphed ; see also the polar bear (p. 36), the flamingo (p. 266), etc. 
'The *landscape charts" used to illustrate relationships and habitat 
seem rather strained and overdrawn, while these and the text are 
somewhat misleading in constantly referring to animals as “higher” 
and *lower," tending to give the student an idea that the vertebrate 
affinities lie in a direct chain, rather than forming a complicated, 
branching system. 
Mistakes of fact are by no means lacking, especially points in the 
anatomy of the exotic species; and the classification is throughout 
largely artificial and based upon superficial resemblances and analo- 
gies. 
In the introduction the author makes some very conservative 
remarks regarding the tendency to humanize animals and to ascribe 
to them a higher order of intelligence than they possess ; but unfor- 
tunately he has in many cases been unable to avoid at least the 
semblance of the fault himself, as when he says (p. 93): “ Zhe most 
humorous of all rat-like animals is the Trading Rat, .... which 
delights in playing practical jokes upon its human neighbors" He 
-is perhaps inclined at times, too, to make over-positive statements 
which cannot be taken quite literally. 
This book will probably not become generally used as an interme- 
diate text-book ; but it will be found a partial substitute for those 
who have no opportunity to visit a good zoölogical park, and. will 
certainly add greatly to the pleasure of those who do have that 
privilege. It is an excellent work for home reading and reference. 
L. J. C. 
Notes. — The zoógeographical relations of South America recently 
. have been discussed by Dr. G. Pfeffer (Zoöl. Jahrb., Suppl. 8, 1905, 
PP. 407-442), with reference to the reptiles, amphibians, and fishes, 
especially as to the question of the former land connections of this 
continent with Africa and with Australia. It is apparently the desire 
of the author to demonstrate that there is no evidence whatever for 
the assumption of such connections, and, consequently, the paper 

