2 
NOTICES OF SERIALS. 
Actinias—viz., A. aurora, A. venusta, and A. thallia. Since tlic Aqua-vivarias have 
become tlie fashion of the day, numerous have been the searchings after sea anemones; 
and we were surprised, during the first fortnight of an “ Actinia hunt,” to supply the 
tanks of the Zoological Gardens, Dublin, to find that among *some hundreds of ane¬ 
mones collected, at least Jive were not described in Johnston’s “ British Zoophytes;” 
some of them may be varieties, but we recognise among them the A. thallia, Gosse, 
and, if we mistake not, the A. venusta, which we recollect seeing in the large cavern 
in St. Catherine’s, Tenby, We have little doubt but that further investigation will 
bring to light several more new species both among the Actinias and Antheas. 
Bibliographical Notices—The Ferns of Great Britain, by Sowerby. Proceedings of 
Learned Societies—Koyal Society, June 15 ; Earl of Rosse, President, in the Chair. 
Zoological Society, November 25, 1851; W. J. Broderick, F.R.S., in the Chair. 
A paper was read by Professor E. Forbes, on a species of vEquorea, inhabiting 
the British seas. December 9; W. Yarrell in the Chair. March 23, 1852 ; Pro¬ 
fessor Owen in the Chair. Linnean Society, January 17, 1854 ; Robert Brown, 
V. P., in the Chair. Botanical Society'of Edinburgh, July 13, 1854; Professor 
Balfour in the Chair. Miscellaneous—On the Coenurus cerebralis of the Sheep, 
by Dr. Kiichenmeister ; On the Occurrence of Zinc in the Vegetable Organism, by 
A. Braun ; Notes on the Bovine Animals of the Malay Peninsula, by G. W. Earl ; 
Meteorological Observations for August, 1854. 
No. 83, November:—(A. Schneider) Contributions to the Natural History of 
the Infusoria; (II. J. Carter) Zoosperms in Spongilla; (J. Miers, F.R.S.) On the 
Genus Lycium—concluded from page 194 ; (W. Thompson) On the Occurrence of 
the Bottle-headed Whale (Hyperooden bidens, Flem .) in Portland Roads, and 
remarks thereon ; (L. Agassiz) On the Primitive Diversity and Number of Ani¬ 
mals in Geological Times. This paper is a reprint from Silliman’s American 
Journal for May, 1854; it is deeply interesting, and in every way worthy of its author. 
(Robert Warrington) Memoranda of Observations made in small Aquaria, in 
which the balance between the animal and vegetable organisms was permanently 
maintained; (Professor J. W. Bailey, U. S.) On a Mode of giving permanent 
Flexibility to brittle specimens in Botany and Zoology. We learn here, that by 
dipping specimens of Chara Corallina, Crustacea, and other brittle specimens, 
either of zoology or botany, in a neutral saturated solution of chloride of calcium, 
and then letting them drain in the open air, they will lose their excessive brittleness, 
and become flexible; the salt being neutral, no fear need be apprehended of its 
injuring colour or texture, while its antiseptic properties will aid in the preservation 
of matters liable to decay. Manual of Natural History, for the use of Travellers. 
Proceedings of Societies—Zoological Society. Miscellaneous—On the Natural 
and Artificial Fecundation of JEgilops by Triticum, by M. Gordon; The Ounces 
and African Seal, by Dr. Gray; On the Development of the Actinias, by M. 
Haime; Rare Irish Mollusca, by S. Wright; On a new species of Suthora, from 
China, by G. R. Gray ; On some Fishes allied to Gymnotus, by A. R. Wallace 5 
Meteorological Observations and Table. 
No. 84, December (George Dickie, M.D., Professor of Natural History, 
Queen’s College, Belfast) Remarks on Associations of Colour, and the Relations of 
Colour and Form in Plants. This is a most interesting paper. We extract some 
of the principal conclusions at which Professor Dickie has arrived—First, “ that 
the primaries, red, yellow, and blue, are generally present in some part or other of 
