MAMMALIA. 
5 
as far back as the Miocene period, with all the essential eliarae- 
ters and mutual morphological relations as at present, and 
that there is no proof that in this long period a transformation 
has taken place from a less perfect Sirenian type to a more de- 
veloped one, or from the Sirenian type to the Pachyderms. It 
is more probable that the origin of the Sirenians from inferior 
types is to be carried to a time preceding the Miocene, perhaps 
the Eocene j)eriod. 
'Beneden, P. J. van, et Gervais, Paul. Osteographie des 
Cetaces vivants et fossiles comprenant la description et 
Piconographie du squelette et du systeme dentaire de ces 
animaux, ainsi que des documents relatifs h leur histoire 
naturellc. Paris. Text 4to, Atlas fol. 
Three parts of this magnificent work were issued in 1868. 
The text will form one volume of about 580 pages with figures, 
and be accompanied by an Atlas containing 50 lithographic 
j)lates. bhach })art contains 20 pages and 4 plates. Although 
tlic authors have cliosen Osteography as the title of their work, 
because the determination and systematic arrangement of Ceta- 
ceans depend chiefly on the skeleton, they will nevertheless treat 
of other parts of their structure and natural history, so that, in 
fact, the work will be an account of Cetaceans as complete as 
the present state of science and of the materials in the various 
museums will permit. The plates are very well drawn, and the 
figures of a suitable size. The parts published contain a por- 
tion of the account of the Right Whales, and the Atlas the 
plates belonging to this genus and a part of the Ziphioids. 
Jerdon, T. C. The Mammals of India ; a Natural History of 
all the animals known to inhabit Continental India. Roor- 
kee, 1867. 8vo, pp. 319. 
The author enumerates 242 species of Mammals from the 
Continent of India, giving a diagnosis with an indication of the 
localities and occasional anecdotes illustrative of the habits. Mr. 
Blyth’s original labours «and determinations arc followed through- 
out, and the observations made by Hodgson, Elliot, and Hors- 
field are freely used and added to those of the author. General 
outlines of the characters of the class and families for the in- 
struction of beginners are also given. The synonymy and re- 
ferences to literature are extremely meagre and defective. It will 
be evident from these remarks that Mr. Jerdon^s compilation 
will be a great boon to the class of men who, living in India, at 
a distance from works or places of instruction, are desirous of 
acquainting themselves with animals.^^ The naturalist will 
prefer to consult the original accounts ; and a critical general 
work on the Indian Mammalia is still a desideratum. We may 
remark that Mr. Jerdon has abstained from describing new 
species, except in one or two cases. 
