376 Boue's Mémoires Géologiques et Paléontologiques. monograph is mainly on the systematic relations of these creatures, but the flesh-and-blood naturalists are not wholly -forgotten, as incidental notices of habits and manners are mingled with the systematic remarks. So minute are the objects described, that Cyclas rivícola, the largest of the three species of Cyclas, is only 101⁄2 lines long, 8 lines high, and 6 lines thick; and, in the genus Pisidium, four of the species do not exceed 2 lines in length, 14 in height, and 11⁄2 in thickness. These facts are noticed for the sake of quoting the following remark: "The discovery of Pisídium pulchéllum, and some other minute species, which, though of frequent occurrence, remained for a long time unnoticed by conchologists, may be attributed to the use of a peculiar net, invented by Professor Henslow, about the year 1815. This instrument, being constructed of the finest wire gauze, enables the collector to strain the water more thoroughly than by any other method previously attempted, and thereby to separate the very smallest shells from the mud in which they are immersed." It is hoped Professor Henslow will early oblige the readers of this Magazine with a drawing and description of so useful an invention. Sowerby, J., jun.: The Mushroom and Champignon illustrated, compared with and distinguished from the Poisonous Fungi that resemble them. Small 4to, 6 pages of letterpress, and 5 plates of coloured figures. London, Sowerby, 1832. Concise, clear, useful, and cheap; but only four species are contradistinguished: - Agaricus campestris, the true edible mushroom, from A. Geórgii, St. George's mushroom, or white caps; and A. praténsis, the true champignon, from A. viròsus, the poisonous agaric, which considerably resembles it. A. Geórgii is stated to be called "St. George's mushroom, because it is said to grow up about St. George's day,' and that it is by no means so wholesome as the true mushroom, because of its dry and tough texture; but it is not poisonous, as it has sometimes been thought to be." Agaricus viròsus and its varieties, one of which, being found covered with a sort of gluten in wet weather, is sometimes called A. glutinòsus, are all deemed fatally poisonous. Boué, A., Foreign Secretary of the Geological Society of France: Mémoires Géologiques et Paléontologiques. Treuttel and Würtz. Of this work, it appears, one volume, consisting of 369 pages, and accompanied by a geological chart of Europe, has been already published; and, by the table of contents, it would appear to contain articles of interest. M. Boué considers that, independently of seven excellent French publications devoted to geology, there is an eligible opening for this work, which is published at irregular intervals, as the accumulation of matter may require, and appears in 8vo volumes of from 20 to 25 sheets, or in half volumes of from 10 to 12 sheets, with an indefinite supply of plates of charts and of sections and figures of fossils. The price is stated to be the lowest possible, to remove an objection which many have felt, viz. that hitherto the most important of geological memoirs have appeared in various publications, whose aggregate expense was such that but few individuals could have access to them all. M. Boué, therefore, besides presenting all the original memoirs he can procure, and with which he solicits his numerous friends, residing in all parts of Europe, to favour him, designs also to present translations of all memoirs or works, in whatever European language they may have been written or published, which treat of the general points of the science, and also to add such local descriptions and useful indications as may be but little known: the whole of the memoirs and the translations are, it appears, to be accompanied by notes explanatory or critical, as the subjects may require. M. Boué takes on himself the translation of memoirs written in every language of Europe, except, perhaps, the Hungarian; and remarks, that, as the promotion of the progress of the sciences of geology and paleontology are his only object, and not the establishment of this or that system, he shall be happy to admit all views, however much opposed to his own they may be, provided they are characterised by consideration, and are not too paradoxical. M. Boué advises those who are disposed to send manuscripts, not to omit such as are voluminous and accompanied by a great number of designs, provided the facts they contain are important, and have been well observed; because, if the publication of the communications so characterised should, on examination, not fall within the scope of his work, they will be received with welcome by the Geological Society of France. ART. V. Literary Notices. SWAINSON'S Ornithological Drawings illustrating the System of Nature. Mr. Swainson, in a work of this title, is about to give to the world the result of many years' study and prepa - ratory accumulation of material, in a series of coloured drawings, to be published in monthly numbers, each containing five quarto plates; and the first number is to appear on the 1st of October, 1832. "These drawings will be published in series, each of which may be considered as a distinct work, although they will all bear the same title. For reasons not necessary to explain, there will be no letterpress accompanying the drawings; but at the termination of each of the series, except the first, they will be more especially illustrated in a printed volume. . . . . The series will be geographic. The first will comprise the birds of British America, described, but not figured, in the Fauna Boreali-Americana of Dr. Richardson and Mr. Swainson. The second series will be a selection of the birds of Great Britain, many of which will, from necessity, be comprised in the first series, but will not, of course, be repeated in the second. The whole undertaking will be completed in 1000 plates, which, if life and health are permitted to the author, he feels confident in being able to execute (humanly speaking) in a few years." Selby's Illustrations of British Ornithology. The second and concluding volume of letterpress to this truly national work is now in the press, and will very soon be issued to the public. The descriptive portion of Selby's British Ornithology forms a separate work, and can, therefore, be purchased without the atlas plates. The first volume, in octavo, containing a full and admirable account of all our native land birds, has long been deservedly prized; and the second volume, which contains the water birds, will, it is hoped, be equally valuable. The Lepidopterous Insects of Java. Dr. Horsfield is busily occupied in preparing the third part of his elaborate work on this subject. The following works, by Mr. Rennie, are in the press, and will shortly appear: White's Selborne, with new notes; A Dictionary of Zoology; A Conspectus of Butterflies; and a work on the Habits of Birds: he has also a work in preparation, on the Faculties of Birds. In a few days will appear a work of popular zoology, in one small volume, containing the Natural History of the Quadru peds and Birds in the Zoological Gardens, with numerous authentic anecdotes; intended as a manual for schools and families, and a complete guide for visitors. The book will contain upwards of 100 embellishments, including figures of the principal animals, drawn from life. COLLECTANEA. ART. I. Zoology. RARER Birds taken near Worcester. Sir, Seeing in your Magazine frequent notices of rare birds, or uncommon varieties, killed in Great Britain, I make no apology for sending you some account of one which has lately come into my possession. It is A Bird of the Hawk kind, corresponding with the Honey Buzzard in size, and in having the space between the bill and the eye thickly covered with feathers, and without hairs; but differing materially in colour, the plumage being of a uniform dark brown, glossed with purple, appearing nearly black at a little distance; and, upon a close inspection, the tail is seen to be indistinctly blotched or barred with a lighter colour, approaching to ash-colour, and each feather of it being rather pointed makes the tail, when closed, slightly forked. The bill, which is somewhat elongated like that of the eagle, seems to have been of a dark bluish colour; the base of the under mandible, sides of the mouth, and cere, yellow; legs feathered a little below the knee, very strong, and yellow; claws black; the thigh feathers so long as nearly to touch the ground as the bird stands. It was shot in the early part of the last autumn, at Spetchley, near this place, the seat of R. Berkeley, Esq.; and I first met with it at a bird-stuffer's, stuffed, but most miserably deformed, appearing to have the wings dislocated, neck broken, &c.; but the skin has since been relaxed and restuffed by Mr. Thomas Robinson, of this city, a bird-stuffer of considerable merit. As I did not procure the bird in a fresh state, I could not ascertain its sex or the colour of the irides; but I am assured, by the man who first stuffed it, that the eyes were quite dark. I shall be obliged, if you, or any of your correspondents, can inform me if I am correct in supposing the bird I have thus endeavoured to describe to be a variety of the honey buzzard (Falco apivorus Lin, Pérnis apivorus Čuv.), and if such a variety has before been met with; or is it a distinct species? Of the Grey Phalarope (Phalaropus lobàtus) I have procured this winter a beautiful specimen, killed a few miles hence; and a fine specimen of that very rare bird the Fork-tailed Petrel (Procellària Leáchii Tem., P. Bullóckii Flem.), four of which were this winter brought to Worcester to be stuffed. One of them was shot swimming on a flooded meadow by the Severn side, near the boundaries of the counties of Gloucester and Worcester; another was taken near the same place; a third in Herefordshire; and the fourth (my specimen) was picked up dead, near Hanbury, in this county. The four were taken at or very near the same time, and were probably stragglers from a flock driven over land by the high winds which prevailed at that period. I am, Sir, yours, &c.-J. W. Worcester, March 15. 1832. More last Words on the Woodpecker.-The Book of Nature, like that of some great and copious Poet or Philosopher, though repeatedly read and perused, is, at every page we casually open, always presenting something new. I could not have supposed myself ignorant of, what I was not aware of till early in this month, that the "middle spotted woodpecker" churrs on trees, just like his little congener the barred, but not one fourth so long, loud, or rapid; and he goes crawling about the boles knocking and jobbing irregularly. It is not mentioned in any of the books; and had I known this, I should certainly have mentioned it in my article, p. 147., as I do now, to warn young and (like myself) ignorant wood-wanderers not to mistake one for the other: and that future book-makers might be apprised; as I see they continually select from our Magazine and you will surely allow me, Master Loudon, to say, that they cannot copy from a better publication. Many experienced observers are of opinion that the middle species is only the young of the great spotted; and, indeed, it has many habits, and much the appearance, of a young bird: tame, clumsy, feeble, and familiar; and I fancy it much less brilliant in smoothness and colour of plumage. It will perch sideways for a great length of time on the topmost spike of a very tall larch or spruce, and continually repeat its check, check, check or upon the summit of a lofty cedar of Lebanon, a capital station from my dining-room window, of observing its dress and manners with my ornithoscope. (A foolish phrase invented by me for a small bird-telescope - tell him of the learned query, p. 205. D. S.-like ornithotrophe, for a birdfeeding trencher; but obvious to the least schoolboy on the lowest form, who has thumb'd his Lexicon only a week. What would he think of exsuberator for a corkscrew? This is an age of the necessity for creating new nicknames and titles — so, "a fico for the phrase"-" REFORM it altogether.") This bird differs totally from its little, loud-roaring relative, in being spotted on the black back with white, instead of barred: and in having high beneath, and partly over its vent and |