410 



Mr. Strickland's Commentary 



when about the size of an egg. It not unfrequently happens 

 that they are but imperfectly impregnated ; in which case they 

 assume a different form from those in which the process is 

 complete, and fall in two or three years. 



The perfect fruit. The abortion. 



The weight of an ordinary ripe drupe is from 40 to 50 lbs. 

 I believe it invariably happens, that when four lobes are con- 

 tained in one husk, which is not uncommon, that they sepa- 

 rate in the middle, forming two fruit, only distinguishable 

 from those that grow separately by the flatness of the inner 

 sides. Those, however, that have three lobes are always 

 united. 



The number of lobes of the leaves is altogether uncertain, 

 varying from twenty-two to forty-five ; nor do the two sides 

 always contain an equal number. 



I have only to add to the foregoing remarks, that the pollen, 

 examined by the microscope, resembles in form a grain of 

 barley, with a longitudinal furrow. It is too minute to pre- 

 sent any form to the naked eye. — Extract from a Letter from 

 Mr. George Clarke of Malic, which is the largest of the Sey- 

 chelles group. 



XLVIII. — Commentary on Mr. G. R. Gray's £ Genera of 

 Birds.' 8vo. London, 1840. By H. E. Strtckland, 

 Esq., M.A., F.G.S., &c. 



Mr. Gray's 4 Genera of Birds,' though a work of no external 

 pretensions, is calculated to exercise a very beneficial influ- 

 ence on the science of ornithology. To the unscientific reader 

 it presents only a bare catalogue of names ; but the naturalist 

 no sooner consults it, than he finds in it evidence of much la- 

 borious research and sound criticism. The object of this work 

 is to give a classification of all the generic groups of the Class 

 Aves, which have been defined by various authors, and to 

 append to each genus a list of the duplicate names which 

 these authors have given to the same group, either through 

 ignorance of each other's labours, or from the less excusable 

 cause of wishing to introduce their own terms into the sci- 

 ence to the exclusion of those given by the original descri- 



