312 Notices of Boohs, [April, 
without foundation in fa<fl, and sometimes apparently ships from 
which they emanate are laden with rum.” 
On the subjedt of the visual powers and the colouration of 
deep-sea species we find some interesting remarks. The author 
very justly pronounces it quite conceivable that animals might 
exist to which obscure heat-rays might be visible, and to which 
men and other mammals would appear constantly luminous. 
On examining with the spectroscope the phosphorescent light 
emitted by three species of deep-sea Alcyonarians, he recognised 
the red, yellow, and green rays only. In connection with this 
faCt it must be noted that “ almost all the deep-sea shrimps and 
Schizopods are of an intense bright scarlet, differing markedly 
in their intensity of colouring from shallow-water forms, and 
having, apparently for some purpose, developed an unusually 
large quality (quantity ?) of the same red pigment which colours 
small surface Crustacea.” Many deep-sea Holothurians are, 
however, dark purple, and in their case Mr. Moseley considers 
the colouring useless, and due merely to the persistence of a 
pigment developed originally in shallow-water ancestors. 
Among the more important observations on fishes we may 
refer to the notice of Periophthalmus Kolreuteri , which travels 
on mud and moist earth, using its peCtoral fins as saltatory legs. 
Concerning flying fish the author agrees with Dr. Mobius, that 
the species of Exoccetus do not flap their fins at all during their 
flight. As to the Dactylopteri (the flying gurnets) he has dis- 
tinctly seen the fins or wings in rapid movement. 
Among terrestrial animals Mr. Moseley appears to have paid 
the greatest attention to birds. He mentions that the Apteryx 
of New Zealand “ considers it necessary to put as much of its 
head as it can under its rudiment of a wing, when it goes to 
sleep ” — a very curious instance of the persistency of habits. 
On the other hand, we find a converse case where part of the 
penguins on the small island of Inaccessible have learnt to nest 
in holes under rocks, where the swine cannot get at them. On 
the north side of the island, where the pigs cannot get, the pen- 
guins retain their original mode of nesting on the open ground. 
The account of the voyagers making their way through a penguin 
colony is not pleasant reading. 
Concerning insecfts we find fewer observations than might have 
been anticipated. Referring to a flock of a dozen males of 
Ornithoptera poseidon who were paying their court to a single 
female, the author proposes some experiments to test hypothesis 
of sexual selection, both in case of butterflies and birds. “ A 
hen might be kept in a cage between two males, noting to which 
she gave the preference, and then whether any alteration in the 
colours of the plumage caused a change in her inclinations.” 
A starling ( Calornis metallica) is mentioned as having been 
found caught in the web of a yellow spider at Little Ke Island, 
and at St. Thomas a large ground spider ( Lycosa ) is said to 
