GORGONACEA.

Isidella elongata Gray=Isis elongata Esper.-The locality of this species is given variously by authors, as East Indies, West Indies, Mediterranean. The Museum of Yale College possesses several good specimens, agreeing perfectly with Esper's figures, which were obtained by Prof. Dana from near Naples. The locality of Esper's specimens was unknown.

Echinomuricea V., gen. nov. Type, E. coccinea V. (Acanthogorgia coccinea V., Proc. Essex Inst., iv, p. 188, Pl. 6, fig. 7). This species appears to be generically distinct from the type of Acanthogorgia in the structure and form of the verrucæ, and especially in the very large size and peculiar character of the spicula, which are more or less imbricated, not in whorls, branched at base, the ends much projecting, very rough, and sharp.

4. On the Distribution of Fresh-water Fishes in the Allegheny Region of South Western Virginia, by E. D. COPE. From the Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, 1868, 4to. with 3 plates.-In this memoir the author gives a very interesting and complete review of the fish-fauna of the head-waters of four distinct river basins: the James, the Roanoke, the Kanawha, and the Tennessee.

He enumerates 56 species, quite a number of which are new. Several genera are also revised, and new ones established.

Of the whole number of species observed, 14 occur in the Roanoke; 19 in the James; 27 in the Kanawha; 34 in the Holston. Common to the four rivers,

Kanawha and Holston only,

5 species.

James, Roanoke, and Kanawha only, 1

The probable origin of the resemblances and diversities among these faunæ is also discussed.

The author has entered upon a field of research which has hitherto been very little explored in America, but which will doubtless soon become of great interest to all students of Geographical Zoology and the origin of species.

5. Catalogue of the Reptiles and Batrachians found in the vicinity of Springfield, Mass., with Notices of all other Species known to inhabit the State; by J. A. ALLEN.-From the Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History, December, 1868. This is another important contribution to American Geographical Zoology. The list has evidently been prepared with great care, and many important notes on habits, effects of temperature, and other matters of interest are given. The whole number of true Reptiles found in the State is 24, of which 21 have been seen near Springfield. The Batrachians are represented by 21 species in the State, of which Springfield claims 19, making 45 species of both groups in the State, with 4 or 5 others that are likely to be found hereafter.

V.

6. Notes on Radiata in the Museum of Yale College, No. 6.— Review of the Corals and Polyps of the West Coast of America; by A. E. VERRILL. (From the Transactions of the Connecticut Academy, Vol. I. New Haven: April, 1868, to February, 1869.)This memoir, which has been issued and distributed in signatures, each bearing the date of publication, is now completed to the Order, Actinaria. The number of species of Alcyonaria enumerated is 62, of which all except 8 have been examined and mostly re-described by the author, while 26 species are here described as new. The descriptions are very elaborate and complete, particular attention having been given to the forms of the spicula, of which numerous microscopic measurements (sometimes amounting to 100 or 200) are given. These are regarded as of the utmost importance, since it is now known that the spicula afford the most reliable characters for distinguishing the genera and species. The Alcyonaria are accompanied by four plates, two illustrating the spicula.

The species are distributed among the following genera:

Renilla, 1; Ptilosarcus, 1; Leioptilum, 1; Stylatula, 2; Litigorgia, 16 (9 new); Eugorgia, 6 (4 new); Phycogorgia, 1; Psammogorgia, 3 (2 new); Muricea, 18 (9 new); Heterogorgia, 2; Primnoa, 1; Callipodium, new genus, 2 (1 new); Alcyonium, 2 (1 new); and six Gorgonidæ, not examined, of which the generic relations are doubtful. Several varieties are also described and named.

7. Annual Report of the Trustees of the Museum of Compara tive Zoology, at Harvard College, in Cambridge, together with the Report of the Director, 1867. 22 pp. 8vo. 1868.-In this Report Professor Agassiz gives a brief statement of the aims, condition and wants of the Museum; and in connection with the latter observes that the Museum needs for its increase, care, and publication fund, a capital of $500,000. Professor Lesquereux, in a Report on the Fossil Plants of the Museum, makes the following remarks on

"The Ancient Flora of America.-First. That the floras of our ancient formations already had peculiar types, which separated from each other those of the different continents. This is even evident in the vegetation of the Coal measures. Therefore, the sup position of a continental union of Europe with America by Atlantides or other intermediate lands, is proved to be untenable.

Second. That the essential types of the old floras, of the Cretaceous and Tertiary formations have passed into our present vegetation, or are preserved to our time. The Cretaceous of America, for example, has already the Magnolias, which we find still more abundant in our Tertiary. This last formation has furnished a number of species of the genus Magnolia, nearly identical with that now existing in the United States, while the genus is totally absent in the corresponding floras of Europe. More than this: we find in our Tertiary the same predominating types marked on both. sides of the Rocky Mountains. On the Atlantic slope, leaves of magnolias, of oaks, of elms, of maples and poplars, and not a trace of coniferous trees; while in California and Vancouver Island, the

red woods or Sequoia, abound in the Cretaceous and Tertiary, as they still form the predominant vegetation of the country. These few facts are mentioned only to show the importance of collections of fossil plants from every formation of our American continent, the only part of the world where questions of general significance concerning palæontological distribution can be studied with some chances of satisfactory conclusions.

IV. ASTRONOMY.

1. Meteors in August, 1868.-The following observations upon the night of August 9th, were made at Durham, Conn., by Prof. C. G. Rockwood, of Bowdoin College. There were two observers.

From 12h. 15m, to 12h. 30m. 13 meteors. | From 1h. Om. to 1h. 15m. 5 meteors.

In all, 56 meteors, of which all but two were conformable to the usual radiant. The sky was mostly clear, and the moon shining. 2. Le Stelle Cadenti del Periodo di Agosto, osservate in Piemonte ed in altre Contrade d'Italia nel 1868. 72 pp., 16mo, Turin. These accounts of observations upon the August meteors, from seventeen Italian stations, most of them continued through three or more evenings, indicate no little zeal among Italian astronomers in the department of meteoric astronomy.

3. Error in Stanley's Logarithmic Tables.-Mr. Chatham Willey, of Hartford, calls attention to an error in Stanley's Logarithmic Tables. It is on page 38th, where the logarithm of 30672

should be 4867421 instead of 4864721.

V. MISCELLANEOUS SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE.

1. Convention of American Philologists.-A Convention of American Philologists, will be held in Poughkeepsie, N. Y., commencing on Tuesday, July 27th, 1869, and continuing in session for several days. The call to this Convention is issued pursuant to a resolution passed at a preliminary meeting held in the New York University, on Nov. 13th, 1868.

Measures will be taken during the session to complete the organization of a permanent National Society for the Promotion of Philological Studies and Research in America. Papers upon different branches of Philology by distinguished American Linguists will be read and discussed. The time that may then remain to the Convention will be devoted to the discussion of the following, among other questions, relative to the position which the Study of Language should occupy in our educational system, to the best methods of Philological Instruction, and to the promotion of Philological Literature in America.

1. How much of the time in a Collegiate course of study should be given to the study of Language? 2. How much of this time should be devoted to the study of the Modern Languages? 3. Should the study of the French and German precede that of the

Latin and Greek Languages? 4. What position should be given to the study of the English Language in our Colleges and other high schools of learning? 5. What is the most efficient method of instruction in the Classical Languages? 6. What is the best system of pronouncing Latin and Greek? 7. Should the written. accent be observed, in pronouncing Classical Greek? 8. What more efficient measures can be taken to preserve from destruction the Languages of the Aboriginal Indians of America?

It is important that all who design attending the Convention should be present at the first session, which will be held on Tuesday, July 27th, at 3 P. M.

All persons intending to be present at the Convention, and all who propose to prepare papers to be read, are requested to communicate notice thereof, not later than by July 1st, 1869, to the Chairman of the Committee on Organization, Prof. GEO. F. COMFORT, (care of Harper & Bros.,) Franklin Square, New York.

The call to the Convention is signed by the leading men of the country in the departments of Philology, and the Ancient and Modern Languages.

2. Gynecological Society, of Boston.-A Gynecological Society has recently been instituted at Boston, having for its objects the advancement of Gynæcic Science and Art, and their due recognition both in Boston and throughout the country. The officers of the Society for the year 1869-70, are Winslow Lowis, President; Horatio R. Storer, Secretary; George H. Bixby, Treasurer.

OBITUARY.

CARL FRIEDRICH PHILIPP VON MARTIUS.-This eminent botanist died at his home in Munich, December 13th, 1868, in the 75th year of his age. He was born at Erlangen in Bavaria, April 17th, 1794.

His father, Dr. Ernest Wilhelm Martius, was distinguished in his day as the author of several botanical and other scientific works, and was one of the founders of the Ratisbon Botanical Society. He died as recently as 1849 in his 94th year; his last work "Memories of a Ninety Years Life," contains many genial pictures of social life in Germany during that eventful period. But the ancestors of von Martius were eminent in science much earlier than this. He used to show his friends the busts of two men, both famous in their day for their knowledge and from whom he traced his descent, one by his father's, the other by his mother's side. The one was Galeotus Martius, a celebrated philosopher, philologist and astrologer of four centuries ago. The other was the scarcely less famous astrologer, Seni.

Carl Martius pursued his studies at the Gymnasium and University at Erlangen, under the direction of his father and his father's friends. He was the botanical pupil of Schreber, and to him he was doubtless indebted for a careful training in the rudiments of the science he was destined to so greatly advance. But his studies were of a wider range, and he prosecuted them all with enthusiastic devotion. He studied zoology under Goldfuss, chemistry under Hildebrand, philology under Harless, and philosophy under

Mehmes and Vogel. He had as a fellow pupil Nees von Esenbeck, and later they prosecuted together their studies at the house of the elder von Esenbeck, at Wurzburg. He studied medicine at the University at Erlangen, graduated Doctor of Medicine, and commenced the practice of that profession in his native town. In his brief practice he was eminently successful, but botanical pursuits were more congenial to his tastes, and he published his first botanical work in 1814, when but twenty years old. He was already collecting the materials for a more important one on the Cryptogamic Flora of Erlangen, which appeared three years later, 1817.

Upon Schreber's death, his herbarium was purchased by the Bavarian Academy, at Munich, and when Professor Schrank of that city came to Erlangen to remove it, he made the acquaintance of young Martius and induced him to come to Munich, where he became a pupil of the Academy, and in 1816 he was appointed to an office in the Botanic Garden, acting indeed as director for Schrank whose age interfered with those duties.

Maximilian, King of Bavaria, was interested in Botany and in his visits to the Botanic Garden made the acquaintance of Martius, and the impression was so favorable that the King selected him, with Dr. Spix the zoologist, to join as savants the embassy that was to accompany the young Bavarian princess destined to be the Empress of Brazil. This decided his fortune and linked his name imperishably with that great empire. The plan of the expedition was prepared by the Bavarian Academy, and they sailed in an Austrian frigate from Trieste, April 10th, 1817.

Our space will not permit of any extended notice of this expedition, nor even an enumeration of its fertile results. They penetrated into Brazil, and traversed the valley of the Amazon to Peru, a distance of over 4,000 miles, much of it through an untrodden region. They were spared fatal accident, but their rich results were only won through the fatigues, hardships, and dangers incident to such exploration. In a little church at Santarem, at the junction of the Tapajoz with the Amazon, there is a full length crucifix presented by von Martius, and beneath it a simple inscription telling that his life had been mercifully preserved when shipwrecked near there in 1819. They were prostrated by malarial fevers, annoyed by wild beasts, and in danger from, treacherous natives.

They returned in 1820 with collections amounting to 3,500 species of animals, 6,500 species of plants, and a vast amount of material relating to the ethnology, philology and history of the region. The exposures and fatigues of this expedition so undermined the health of Dr. Spix that he survived his return but a few years, leaving the burden of publishing the vast amount of material they had collected upon von Martius. The narrative was published in three quarto volumes with folio atlas, entitled, "Reise in Brasilien," Munich, 1824-31.

The first department of the collection worked up was the Palms, and the first part of his "Genera et Species Plantarum was pub