75° Analyses of Books. [December, 
hinted that had the “ Origin of Species ” been first published 
at any time during the last eight or nine years it would have 
met with little attention, save among professed naturalists. 
We must call particular attention to a paper by Mr. Peter 
Beveridge, on the “Aborigines inhabiting the Great Lacustrine 
and Riverine Depressions of the Lower Murray, Lower Murrum- 
bidgee, Lower Lachlar, and Lower Darling.” It is here remarked 
that “ a sting from a deaf adder is considered by the natives 
hopelessly fatal ; therefore they rarely attempt the extraction of 
the deadly virus injected by that reptile’s horny tail spur : in fad 
they have not any time to try a cure, for the victim seldom lives 
twenty minutes after being wounded. These reptiles are the 
most dreaded of all the snake kind by the aborigines, on account 
of their superior virulency. To add to the danger arising from 
these reptiles, nothing will move them from the position in which 
they are met. If one is touched by a careless foot, or even by a 
piece of stick, as he lies in the path, he does not crawl away 
from the interrupting objeCt as quickly as possible, as is the 
manner of most reptiles ; he merely raises his head and tail 
simultaneously, and, with the rapidity of thought, seizes the dis- 
turbing objeCt with his mouth, holding firmly thereby, whilst he 
drives his tail spur into it repeatedly.” Here, then, we have a 
nameless snake, fully as deadly as the cobra, but anomalous in 
as far as its venom is secreted and emitted not by glands in the 
head and hollow teeth, but by a special organ at the tail. Further 
investigation is here surely needed. 
According to Prof. Liversidge, Mr. Brown, a Wesleyan mis- 
sionary, brought from New Britain a soft white limestone, 
physically and chemically undistinguishable from chalk. He 
now exhibited specimens of flints from the islands of Ulana and 
Ugi,— an additional proof of the probable presence of true chalk 
of the Cretaceous age in the South Sea Islands. 
British Fresh Water Algce, exclusive of the Desmidiece and Dia- 
tomacece. By M. C. Cooke, M.A., L.L.D., A.L.S. 2 vols., 
8vo., pp. 330. Plates 130. London : Williams and Nor- 
gate, 1882 to 1884. 
This magnificent work, of which the first two parts have already 
been noticed, has at length been completed, and there is no reason 
to alter the favourable opinion then expressed. (“Journal of 
Science,” vol. 4, p. 263). 
The separation of the “ Fresh Water Algae ” from the numerous 
Marine species is purely a matter of convenience, and as the 
