IN EUROPE — BELGIUM. 
25 
exhibits a simple fronto-parieto-occipital crest, and sometimes 
presents it of enormous size and double. He shows, that the 
Simia resembles Man in regard to its structure when young, 
and gradually becomes less human as it grows older, while 
Man, the older he grows, by the wisdom which he acquires, 
approaches always more and more to God. Science is also 
not a little indebted to another Belgian legislator, the actiye 
secretary of the Chamber, Baron Dubus, who has giyen us 
many descriptions of new species of Birds, and haying now dis- 
tributed them into decades, is about to publish figures of them. 
Anatomical researches on Man and Animals are daily extended 
by M. Burgraeye, whose anatomical and physiological museum 
attracts the admiration of strangers. The uninterrupted re- 
searches of the celebrated astronomer, Quetelet, on Social 
Physics, or in others words, the Natural History of Man, in- 
cluding his circulation, physical deyelopment, &c., must not be 
forgotten, as they Ayill lead to admirable results. But the most 
zealous and meritorious of the zoologists of Belgium, whence 
he difiuses his knowledge to more extended regions, is M. de 
Selys Longchamps, Ayhose affability and learning the sayants 
of Italy had an opportunity of appreciating at the Congress 
of Turin. Without speaking of his writings on the Lihellulce, 
which do not fall within our scope, I Avill commemorate his 
well known Etudes de Micromammalogie, Ayhich will throw so 
much light on the genera Mus and Arvicola, not to mention 
his Catalogue of the Mammifers of Europe. He is now extend- 
ing his researches to the genus Vespertilio, and to the yery 
intricate fresh-water Fish of hi^ country, among which he 
describes thirty species of Ciprinidoe. I haA^e lately receiyed 
from him a yaluable letter, in which he admirably establishes 
the differences between the much confused Vespertilio nat- 
ter eri, emarginatus, mystacinus, dauhentoni, and dasycne- 
mus, for which he has laid down excellent characters ; and 
he promises me perfect specimens, which I hope to receiye 
in time to lay before this section, as he will be preyented 
from attending in person. All these undertakings are only a 
prelude to his greater Ai ork, the Faune Beige, Ayliich we are 
daily expecting. For the absence from this meeting of those 
2.5 
