Scientific Reviews. 129 
- To enter into any detailed view of a work so long before the 
public, aud so well received, as the English ‘‘ Animal Kingdom,” 
would be quite superfluous. It is sufficient to observe, that it con- 
tains a translation of the “‘ Regne Animal,” an additional enume- 
ration of species, with descriptions, and a copious supplement of 
popular and interesting matter, partly original, and partly derived 
from the best authorities, both native and foreign. This last part 
will be found most amusing to the general reader, and, in our opi- 
nion, the most useful in tending to increase the popularity of the 
subject. The dry details of classification are assuredly indispen- 
sible to the student of zoology ; but to relieve them by agreeable 
descriptions, philosophical discussion, and the beauties of style, is 
a laudable task, for the execution of which our acknowledgments 
are due to the editors of “ The Animal Kingdom.” 
As to the progress of this work,—“ The Mammalia” has been 
completed for some time, and the part on “ The Birds” is nearly 
completed. The No. last published, (the 20th,) contains the con- 
clusion of the supplement on “ Scansores,” the translation, &c. of 
the “ Galline, and a part of the supplement on the same order. It 
is but justice to observe, that the majority of the engraved illustra- 
tions are in a style of superior execution. We. 


GEOGRAPHICAL COLLECTIONS. 
Report made to the Academy of Sciences, by a commission formed of Messrs. 
De Rossel, Mathieu, and Arago, on the mathematical labours executed on 
board the Chevrette during her late voyage. 
AFTER Stating the appointment of the commission, and the route pursued by 
this vessel, an account of which we have given in our last, the reporters said, that 
in that lengthened navigation, Captain Fabré had chronometrically fixed the posi- 
tion of one of the Cape de Verd islands. 
“ He assured himself that the islands of St. George, Roguepiz, and the Seven 
Brothers, had no existence in the position assigned to them by the Oriental Nep- 
tune of Dapres. He recognized the northern part of a passage situated in the ar- 
chipelago of the Maldive Islands, and which vessels going from Europe to the 
coast of Coromandel, may in future follow with advantage and security. 
Mr. Blosseville surveyed the course of the Irrawaddy from Rangoon to Dauou- 
biou; Mr. Janneret the arm of the river between Rangoon and the sea; and Mr. 
Payuet that branch which extends to Pegu, the ancient capital of the kingdom. 
In the north of Ceylon, Mr. de Blosseville surveyed the coast from Cape Ral- 
mas to the fort of Hano-en-Hiel, and drew up a detailed chart of the harbour of 
Kaits and its environs. In going to Batavia, the same officer observed a suffi- 
cient number of points, to be able to make some important rectifications, both to 
the charts of the Straits of Sunda, and to those of the northern parts of Java. 
The roads of Batavia were also the theatre of his indefatigable zeal. 
The Chevrette was furnished with a set of magnetical instruments for making 
observations on land. These instruments were examined in Paris before their 
departure, and have been subjected to a similar examination on their return. 
During the journey they have been made use of whenever the vessel put into har- 
VOL. I. R 
