WARD’S NATURAL SCIENCE BULLETIN. 
9 
THE SOCIETY OF TAXIDERMISTS. 
We are in receipt of a press copy of the third 
annual report of the Society of American Taxi- 
dermists; the whole edition of which is now in 
the hands of the hinder, and will be ready and 
distributed to the members in a few days. The 
copy before us is a handsomely gotten up little 
volume of 128 pages, with two finely executed 
heliotype plates, one representing the “bestpiece” 
in the New York Exhibition, Mr. Hornaday’s 
African elephant, and the other the objects al- 
ready contributed to the taxidermic collection of 
the National Museum. In addition to the usual 
official papers of the Society and judge’s report 
in full, the volume contains three very interest- 
ing addresses, seven valuable papers on processes 
in taxidermy, read before the General Meeting in 
New York, and a complete biblography of taxi- 
dermy by L. M. McCormick, containing over 222 
titles, and covering the entire literature of the 
subject from 1689 down to the present month. 
Altogether the report is in every way highly 
creditable to the Society which pi’oduces it, and 
gives ample proof of the strength and vigor of 
the organization. We are advised that a busi- 
ness meeting is to be called, immediately follow- 
ing the distribution of the report, to discuss 
plans for the next exhibition, which, we believe, 
it is the expectation to hold in New York next 
October. 
SELECTED. 
From St. George Mivart’s “ The Common Frog.” 
There is a genus of this order ( Urodela ) which 
has of late presented circumstances of peculiar in- 
terest. This is the Axolotl of Mexico, which was 
long considered by Cuvier to be a large Eft-tadpole, 
possessing as it does permanent gill-openings, with 
some other characters common to the Eft-tadpole 
stage of existence. At length, however, its mature 
condition was considered to be established by the 
discovery that it possesses perfect powers of repro- 
ducing its kind. 
For some years, individuals of this species have 
been preserved in the Jardin des Plantes at Paris, 
and a few years ago one individual amongst others 
there kept was observed, to the astonishment of 
its guardian, to have transformed itself into a crea- 
ture of quite another genus — the genus Amblysto 
ma, one rich in American species. Since then sev- 
eral other individuals have transformed themselves, 
but without affording any clue as to the condi- 
tions which determine this change — a change re- 
markable indeed, resulting as it does not merely in 
the loss of gills and the closing up of the gill- 
openings, but in great changes with respect to. the 
skull, the dentition and other important structures. 
There is, moreover, another and very singular 
fact connected with this transformation. It is that 
no one of the individuals transformed (although 
we must suppose that by such transformation it 
has attained its highest development and perfec- 
tion) has ever yet reproduced its kind, and this in 
spite of every effort made to promote reproduction 
by experiments as to diet, and as to putting to- 
gether males and females both transformed, also 
transformed males with females untransformed, 
and males untransformed with females transformed. 
Indeed, the sexual organs seem even to become 
atrophied, in these transformed individuals. More- 
over, all this time the untransformed individuals 
have gone on bringing forth young with the ut- 
most fecundity, no care or trouble on the part of 
their guardians being required to effect it. 
A fact more noteworthy could h ardly be imagined 
in support of the view of specific genesis put forward 
recently. Here we have a rapid and extreme trans- 
formation, taking place according to an unknown 
internal law of the species which transformes it- 
self. No one, moreover, has been able to detect 
the conditions which determine such transforma- 
tion (though it takes place under the eyes, and in 
the midst of the experiments, of its observers). 
This latter fact affords abundant evidence how ob- 
scure and recondite may be the conditions which 
determine the transformations of specific genesis, 
and how utterly futile are observations as to an 
apparent homogeneity of readily appreciable con- 
ditions. They are so since it seems to be just such 
recondite ones which really determine the changes 
just referred to, and probably therefore, other 
changes analogus to them. 
ALCOHOLICS. 
We continually have on hand a quite extensive 
series of alcoholic preparations of the several classes 
of animals. The following we enumerate from 
our stock of Reptilia and Amphibia. For conve- 
nience the members of each order are arranged al- 
phabetically. 
REPTILIA.— Ophidia. 
Anestrodon sp. 
Buscanion constrictor. 
Chrysophelea ornata. 
Coelopeltis insignitus. 
Coronella sayi. 
Cyclopms aestivus. 
Dipsas septentrionalis. 
Dryophylax viridissim ns. 
Elaphis aesculapii. 
“ guttatus. 
‘ ‘ guadrivirgatus. 
Erythrolamprus venustissimus. 
Far a n cia abacurum . 
Heerodon catesbyi. 
Helicops angulatus. 
Hydrophis melanurus. 
IAopMs cobella. 
Morelia variegata. 
Naja haje. 
Pituophis mexicanus. 
Scotophis atteghanensis. 
Simotes octolineatus. 
Tarbophis vivax. 
Telescopus obtusus. 
Lacertilia. 
Acranthus mridis. 
Anguis fragilis. 
Branchocela j ubata. 
Galotes mystacimis. 
“ ophiomacus. 
Ghameleo dilepis. 
Goryphophylax maximiliar us. 
Cyclodus boddeertii. 
‘ ‘ nigroluteus. 
Draco daudinii. 
“ lineutus. 
‘ ‘ mridis. 
Emnias variabilis. 
Euprepes arenarius. 
Grammatophora muricata. 
Himulea elegans. 
Hydrosaurus variegatus. 
Lacerta mridis. 
Lygosoma austalis. 
‘ ‘ smaragdina. 
Moloch hor rictus. 
Phryn osoma corn u turn . 
Platydactylns aegyptiacus. 
“ guttatus. 
Plestiodon erythrocephalus. 
“ quinquelineatus. 
Poly chrus marmora tits. 
Pseudopus pallasii. 
Scincus atrigularis. 
‘ ‘ bistriatus. 
‘ ‘ officinalis. 
Teius monitor, 
Tropidolepis microlepidotus. 
Tropidurus torquatus. 
Uromastix niger. 
Rhyncocephaljna. 
Hatter ia punctata. 
AMPHIBIA. — Urodela. 
Amblystoma mexicana . — (Axolotl). 
Amphiuma means. 
1 ‘ tridactyla. 
Menobranchus lateralis. 
Proteus anguinius. 
Salamandra atra. 
* ‘ subcristatus. 
Sieboklia ( Cryptobranchus ) maxima. 
An our a. 
Bombinator igneus. 
Brachycephalus epMppvum. 
Bufo agua. 
‘ ‘ scaber. 
‘ 1 variabilis. 
Gonodotes jnauritan icus. 
Hypsiboas crepitans. 
Pelobates fuscus. 
Rana esculenta, 5 specimens showing metamor- 
phosis. 
kicaphiophus solitarius. 
The Coral Grove. 
Deep in the wave is a coral grove, 
Where the purple mullet and gold-fish rove ; 
Where the sea-flower spreads its leaves of blue 
That never are wet with falling dew, 
But in bright and changeful beauty shine 
Far down in the green and glossy brine. 
The floor is of sand, like the mountain drift, 
And the pearl-shells spangle the flinty snow ; 
From coral rocks the sea-plants 
Their boughs where the tides and billows flow ; 
The water is calm and still below, 
For the winds and waves are absent there, 
And the sands are bright as the stars that glow 
In the motionless fields of upper air. 
There, with its waving blade of green, 
The sea-flag streams through the silent water 1 
And the crimson leaf of the dulse is seen 
To flash like a banner bathed in slaughter. 
Then, with a light and easy motion, 
The fan-coral sweeps through the clear, deep sea, 
And yellow and scarlet tufts of ocean 
Are bending like corn on the upland lea. 
And life in rare and beautiful forms, 
Is sporting amid those bowers of stone, 
And is safe when the wrathful spirit of storms 
Has made the top of the wave his own. 
And when the ships from his fury flies, 
When the myriad voices of ocean roar, 
When the wind god frowns in the m urky skies, 
And demons are waiting the wreck on shore ; 
Then far below in the seaceful sea, 
The purple mullet and gold-fish rove, 
Where the water murmurs tranquilly 
Through the bending twigs of coral grove. 
ENTERPRISE. 
As an instance of new zeal and enterprise 
(in the copy sent to the printer we wrote New 
Zealand enterprise, but as an amusing instance of 
misset type we let it stand as it is), worthy of an 
American, we copy the following from the back 
of a photograph of the moa. 
“RELIC OF ANTIQUITY. 
SKELETON OF THE GIGANTIC WINGLESS 
MOA BIRD (Dinornithidae). 
The only Perfect one in existence— consists of all the 
Bones of one Bird. 
FIRST COMPLETE SPECIMEN PHOTOGRAPHED, 
AND COPYRIGHT SECURED. 
The demand for information concerning this Na- 
tional Relic, the existence and habits of which was so 
replete with conjectures, confused in controversy, 
and upon which Mr. B. S. B. ably contributed a paper 
(vide, vol. vii, “Transactions New Zealand Institute,” 
1871), has determined him to present to the public— a 
true photograph of the only Perfect Skeleton yet dis- 
covered, articulated by himself, and yet in his posses- 
sion. The picture has been faithfully executed by 
Mr. L. W. B., under the proprietor’s personal super- 
vision. 
It forms a Guide to Scientific Adjustment ! 
A Valuable Adjunct to the Cabinet of the Student of 
Natural History. 
An Unique Curiosity to the Antiquary. 
Indispensable to the album. 
Unequaled as a Present for Home. 
Unrivalled as an Ornament for the Picture Hall or 
Library. 
Price, 2s. Cabinet, 4s. Liberal deductions 
to Agents. 
Collected and Articulated by Mr. B. S. B., Otago, to 
whom orders for Photographs may be forwarded.” 
We have purchased the above valuable “ Relic 
of Antiquity ” from Mr. B. , and it now stands — 
nicely remounted by us — in the Museum of Com- 
parative Zoology at Cambridge. While not of 
the very largest, it had the merit of being per- 
haps more absolutely entire and complete than 
any other specimen of the Moa which has ever 
been found. Not only was every bone present, 
but the specimen possessed the quite rare feature 
of having the trachea preserved throughout its 
entire length. Mounted thus, with the windpipe 
following the neck from the head down to be- 
neath the breast-bone, this Moa is a sample of 
Dinorthidian perfection which we are pleased to 
have had pass through our hands. 
