22 
NOTICES OF SERIALS. 
the other two rays. Of the fin-ray formulae given, not one of them tally with Dr. 
Parnell’s number ; but this,with the one exception, is easily accounted for. Proceed¬ 
ings of Societies—Entomological Society, March 5, 1855, J. Curtis, President, 
in the Chair. 
No. 151, May:—(H. T. Stainton) Entomological Botany, with more especial 
reference to the Plants frequented by the Tineina—continued from page 4,457. 
Notices of New Books—The Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Nos. 85 to 
88 ; A List of the British Geodephaga; The Entomologists’ Annual, 1855 ; The 
Aquarium, by P. H. Gosse. It would appear that in this pleasant little sea-side book 
by Mr. Gosse, the author has now and then given discourses worthy of the Arch¬ 
bishop of Canterbury, and that these are of such a nature as to excite the idea of 
tl drastic curatives,” the unpleasant flavour of which is ill concealed by the saccharine 
vehicle of natural history. A Memoir of W. Baker ; (R. Warington) Observa¬ 
tions on the Natural History and Habits of the Common Prawn—another of the 
Results attending the “ Aquaria.” This paper is nicely written, and gives some in¬ 
teresting details about the exuviation of these little creatures. (J. Couch) A Re¬ 
cord of some of the Effects of the late severe Weather on Animals; (J. Y. Akerman) 
The Birds of London ; (H. Stevenson) Note on the Hawfinch and Wild Fowl on 
the Norfolk Coast; (0. Pickard-Cambridge) Extraordinary Hen’s Egg; (C. H. 
Rodd) Supposed new Snipe; (E. Newman) Supposed act of Auto-surgery in a Teal; 
(George Beresford) Occurrences of the Smew, near London ; (J. Gatcombe) Oc¬ 
currence of the Iceland Gull in the neighbourhood of Plymouth; (G. Guyon) In¬ 
sensibility of Reptiles to Poison. It is, we believe, generally known that several 
animals are quite insensible to the effects of Prussic acid (H. Cy.). We have found 
it a very difficult matter to kill rats with this acid. (W. Thompson) An Unnoticed 
Character in the structure of the Fishing Frog, and notice of a Curious Habit of 
the Fringed-lipped Lamprey ; (E. Newman) Gonepteryx Rhamni, double-brooded. 
Proceedings of Societies—Entomological Society, April 2, J. Curtis, President, 
in the Chair. Appendix to the “Zoologist” for 1855, Art. xxx., Description of two 
Coleopterous Insects new to the British Fauna, by T. V. Wollaston, Esq.; Art. 
xxxi., Revision of the Characters of Deretaphrus and Descriptions of twoNew Species, 
by T. Y. Wollaston, and E. Newman; Art. xxxii., Characters and some account 
of the Economy of a supposed new Species of Australian Bombyx, by E. Newman. 
No. 152, June :—(R. Knox, M.D., F.R.S.E.) On the Food of certain Gregarious 
Fishes; (Cuthbert Collingwood, M.B.) Calendar of Natural Phenomena observed 
at Purley Park, Berkshire. These remarks were made during the months of 
January, February, and March, in the present year (1855), and are very interest¬ 
ing ; but we think, for a periodical like the “ Zoologist,” they ought to have been 
a little shorter, as in the present number this paper and the preceding one take up 
twenty-nine and a half pages out of the thirty-two of which the number consists. 
(F. Smith) Toads long known to be Enemies of the Hive-Bee; (E. Newman) 
A Word on the use of Initial Capitals to Specific Names. This “ Word” we quote 
to give our readers the benefit of Mr. Edward Newman’s opinion—“We are 
agreed on using initial capitals for genera, but we have no law as to initial capitals 
for species ; for we cannot certainly reckon as a law that draft-of a bill which was 
sent down to us from the Upper House— videlicet , the British Association—and which 
we, the representatives of the people, threw out, nemine contradicente. Now, having 
no law, every one does exactly as he pleases; and not only are no two entomologists 
