THE PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 
207 
and after the expressed opinion of the Challenger naturalists that 
the supposed living organism was only a chemical deposit, no use 
should have been made of it as illustrating an address of such 
importance as that of Dr. Allman. But all that the President said 
was, that after the very elaborate investigations of Huxley and 
Haeckel further arguments were needed before observations so 
carefully conducted should be deemed to be altogether fallacious. 
I think too that there was some little fun intended, and that the 
naturalists who followed Professor Huxley, and verified, as they 
said, his experiences, and adopted his conclusions, were being 
turned into ridicule. 
There have been recently many important additions to Zoological 
literature. 
Two or three volumes of the publications of the Challenger 
Expedition will now soon be ready, and I may bring to the notice 
of those who are not already acquainted with it, the most fascinating 
volume that has been published for many years, and one that will 
rank worthily with such books as White's Selborne, Kinglake's 
Ed then, and Darwin's Naturalist's Voyage. I mean Mr. Moseley's 
Notes by a Naturalist on the Challenger, a book I have before 
mentioned, and one well worthy of the high scientific reputation of 
the author, and written in so pleasant a style as to make it inter- 
esting to every one. 
It is many years since the first edition of Yarrell's Fishes was 
published, and, although it was succeeded after a long interval by 
the work of a much more competent man — I mean the late Jonathan 
Couch — the earlier book has always kept its place. The last few 
months has seen the publication of a fine work on the Fresh Water 
Fishes only of our country. It is by the Eev. William Houghton, 
and it is the most complete monograph in our language. The 
author gives twenty-three species of that difficult family the 
Salmonidw. Yarrell, in his first edition gave, I think, fifteen, and 
Mr. Couch, whom I recollect saying somewhat peevishly while he 
was writing his book, that he thought he should be obliged to make 
twenty species, eventually included twenty-four. Mr. Houghton's 
work is beautifully printed and illustrated, and the only objection 
to it is that it is somewhat costly. 
The history of the Birds of Europe, by Mr. Dresser, which has 
been in course of publication for many years past, is now nearly 
