99 
llEPTILIA 
BY 
Albert Genther^ M.A.^ M.D.^ Pli.D, 
A. Works in progress. 
Iconographie generale des Ophidiens, par Monsieur le ProfEPseur 
G. Jan. Paris, Text 8vo, Plates 4to. 
According to the prospectus^ this work is issued in parts, each 
containing six plates of engravings, and appearing at intervals of 
two months. The plates will not be published in a systematic 
series, but will precede the text, which is also to appear in parts, 
each containing the monography of a family. Up to the pre- 
sent time eight parts of plates have been issued, viz. No. 1 
in 1860, December ; No. 2 in 1861, December ; No. 3 and No.' 4 
in 1864, April; No. 5 in June; No. 6 in August; No. 7 in 
November; No. 8 in December. Of the text one part (42 pages) 
has appeared (1864, October); it contains the family of Ty^ 
phloptd(B. 
There is no doubt that the additions to our knowledge of 
Ophidians since the publication of the ^Erpetologie generale, 
par Dumeril et Bibron,^ have been so numerous and important, 
that we have not one work which could make any claim to com- 
pleteness, and that, consequently, a general work on Ophidians 
is now a great desideratum. Unfortunately M. Jan does not 
supply such a work, as he intends to figure and to describe only 
those species which he has been able to examine at his own place 
of residence ; and as the British Museum alone possesses at least 
as many species as the thirty-five collections together from which 
he borrowed the specimens, it is evident that the ^ Iconographie 
generale^ cannot contain many more than two-thirds of the 
species known. 
Still, even an incomplete work, illustrated by well-drawn 
plates, might have been a most valuable contribution to Herpe- 
tology if the author had a tolerable acquaintance with the sub- 
ject chosen and with the literature relating to it. But Dr. 
Peters has shown on several occasions (Wiegm. Arch. 1861, 
p. 35 ; Monatsber. Acad. Wiss. 1863, p. 368) that the little which 
has been published by M. Jan abounds with such serious errors, 
that great caution is needful in making use of his labours. 
II 2 
