CONTENTS OF No. V.-JANUARY, 1862. With Four Lithographic Plates. Keniems. 1. St. Hilaire on the Systematic Position of Man. Histoire Naturelle Générale des Règnes Organiques, par M. Isidore Geoffroy St. Hilaire. Tome II. le partie. 1856 2. The Collections of the Novara Expedition. Die Ausbeute der Oesterreichischen Naturforscher an Säugethieren und Reptilien während der Weltumsegelung Sr Majestät Fregatte Novara, Von Dr. L. J. Fitzinger, Original Articles. 3. On the Cedars of Lebanon, Taurus, Algeria, and India. By J. D. Hooker. M.D., F.R.S. (With three Plates) b. On the Morphology of the Female Flower of the Abietines. By Professor Robert Caspary PAGE. 1 11 10 5. On the Ancient Lake Habitations of Switzerland. By John Lubbock, Esq., F.R.S. 26 6. New Researches respecting the Co-Existence of Man with the Great Fossil Mammals, regarded as Characteristic of the latest Geological Period. By M. Edward Lartet. 7. The Sumatran Elephant. By Prof. H. Schlegel 8. Observations on some Australian and Feegeean Heterocyathi and their Parasitical Sipunculus. By John Denis Macdonald, R.N., F.R.S., Surgeon of H.M.S. "Icarus" 9. On the Myology of the Orang-Utang. By William Selby Church, B.A., Lee's Reader in Anatomy, Christ Church, Oxford, (continued) 10. Anatomical Notes. By Professor Hyrtl of the University of 11. Upon a non Striped Muscle connected with the Orbital Perios- On Dimorphism in Primula Note on the Habits of Vipers Aliscellanea. . 118 . 118 . 118 NOTICE. THE VOLUME FOR 1861 may now be had complete, with Title and Index, bound in cloth, price Sixteen Shillings. CLOTH COVERS for binding are now ready, and supplied to Subscribers, price One Shilling. NEW SUBSCRIBERS, commencing with the year 1862, will be, entitled to have the previous volume for 13s, bound in cloth. THOMAS H. HUXLEY, F.R.S., F.L.S. | WYVILLE THOMSON, LL.D., F.R.S.E. WILLIAMS & NORGATE, HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN. EDINBURGH: WILLIAMS & NORGATE, SOUTH FREDERICK STREET. THE A Quarterly Journal of Biological Science. In undertaking the conduct of the NATURAL HISTORY REVIEW, the Editors propose to establish a QUARTERLY CRITICAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE, which, without interfering with existing scientific periodicals, shall stand in the same relation to naturalists, and other persons interested in biological inquiries, as that which is occupied by the ordinary Quarterly Reviews in respect to men of letters and the general public. They desire, in addition, to offer to all whom it may concern a means of discussing the general problems suggested by the progress of biological investigation in a scientific spirit, and without reference to any but scientific considerations. The Editors will not refuse an original communication on the ground of any scientific opinion expressed in it. The Contents of the NATURAL HISTORY REVIEW will be divided into the following sections: I. Reviews. III. Bibliographical Notices, and II. Original Articles and Reports. The first section will embrace criticisms of all important new biological works published either in this country or abroad. The second will comprise such original papers as may be of sufficient importance to deserve publication, though they may not be of a nature to demand a place in the Transactions of a Scientific Society. Careful Reports upon the present condition of particular branches of Natural History will form an additional important constituent of this section. In the third section will be comprised notices of all the Papers on biological subjects read before Scientific Societies; a Bibliographical record of the various serial publications and works on Natural History which have appeared during the quarter; and finally, Miscellaneous Notes. While the last section will form a record of the daily progress of their Science, of the greatest importance to working Naturalists, the Editors trust that the two former will contain many communications of value, not only to the man of science, but to that large and increasing number of persons who take an interest in the results of the investigations of the professed Naturalist. As the wide extent of Biological Science renders it impossible for any man to be largely acquainted with more than two or three of its branches, the Editors have divided the labour of collecting and supervising the requisite materials according to the scheme on the preceding page. The Editors do not hold themselves responsible for the opinions expressed in articles to which their names are not attached, and they particularly request that all communications intended for the Journal may be addressed to the Publishers, the words "Natural History Review" being written upon the outside cover. THE NATURAL HISTORY REVIEW will be published on the first of January, April, July, and October. Single numbers, price 48. each, will be on sale in the usual way. Annual Subscriptions, at the reduced rate of 128., should be sent to the Publishers direct, who will forward the Numbers, post free, on the day of publication. THE NATURAL HISTORY REVIEW: A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE. Reviews. XIII. THE WRITINGS OF M. FABRE. OBSERVATIONS SUR LES MEURS DES CERCERIS. Ann. des Sci. Nat. Tome IV. Ser. 4. ETUDE SUR L'INSTINCT ET LES MÉTAMORPHOSES DES SPHEGIENS. Ann. des Sci. Nat. Tome VI. Ser. 4. MÉMOIRE SUR L'HYPERMETAMORPHOSE ET LES MŒURS DES MÉLOÏDES. Ann. des Sci. Nat. Tome VII. Ser. 4. RECHERCHES SUR L'ANATOMIE DES ORGANES REPRODUCTEURS ET SUR LE DÉVELOPPEMENT DES MYRIAPODES. Ann. des Sci. Nat. Tome III. Ser. 4. MISS MARTINEAU in her " Eastern Life" expresses her wonder that after a co-existence of 6000 years or more we cannot understand the language of a single animal. But how few men are there who make any effort to do so. Even among naturalists, how large a proportion catch but to kill, and study only the dead. In Entomology we have had but two Hubers, nor can we be said yet to understand thoroughly the habits of a single insect. The most startling discovery of the last few years relates to a species which has been domesticated from time immemorial. Gladly, therefore, do we welcome an Entomologist who steps boldly out of the common path; in some cases, indeed, we may feel disposed to think that M. Fabre's enthusiasm leads him to attribute to his favourites, feelings of which we can hardly suppose them capable; but we cannot criticise what we have enjoyed so much, and the error, if it be one, throws an additional charm over his writings. Out of the many species whose manners and customs are described by M. Fabre, we must confine ourselves to three; and even then we cannot in so short an abstract do anything like justice to the wit and brilliancy of the original. N. H. R-1862. K In the memoir which we have placed at the head of this article, M. Fabre devotes himself to the genus Cerceris. In the latter part of September, this insect, which is one of the solitary wasps, begins to hollow out a sort of gallery in the earth— horizontal or vertical, according to the species-and to enclose therein her progeny, together with the food destined for their future support. She shews herself in no wise particular as to the nature of the soil in which she works, provided it be perfectly dry, and exposed during a great part of the day to the heat of the sun. She takes ingenious advantage of any projection in the ground, or bunch of weeds, under the shelter of which she can pierce her gallery, and thus add as it were a peristyle to her dwelling. Though the Cercerides do not form themselves into communities, M. Fabre observes that they generally choose to live near each other, and the nests lie close together, to the number of eight or ten. It is curious to watch the labours of these insects in forming their habitations, and the patience with which they drag up successive heavy loads of sand, and eject it from the entrance of their holes. The sight of their tiny jets of sand constantly recurring attracted the attention of M. Fabre, in the first instance, to these little excavators. He watched them, resting from their labours and basking in the sun, the females often flying to the surrounding trees, pursued by the males, who hover about, idle spectators of the toil carried on before their eyes. Fights frequently ensue between them for the possession of some particular female, who sits an apparently unconcerned beholder of the struggle for supremacy, and, when the victory is decided, quietly flies away in company with the conqueror. The males, which are only half the size of the females, do not condescend even to enter the galleries which are in course of excavation; and neither by carrying a single grain of sand, nor by assisting in the subsequent troublesome task of collecting provisions for the young, do they share in the industry around them. Having completed the nests for the reception of her eggs, it now remains for the thoughtful parent to provide the nourishment requisite for her young, when they shall emerge from the shell. The victim chosen for this purpose is a large Curculio (Cleonus opthalmicus). On her return from a foraging expedition, the Cerceris may be seen flying homewards, heavily weighed down by her prey, which she embraces, the underside of her body opposed to that of her victim. Alighting at a short distance from her hole, she proceeds to drag the Cleonus painfully up to the entrance of its prison, often slipping back, and rolling with it down among the loose grains of sand, only to recommence undauntedly her toilsome ascent. M. Fabre had the curiosity to weigh both the Cerceris and her prey; the first averaged 150 milligrammes, the second 255; a fact which would render the flight of the Cerceris a matter of considerable surprise to any one not aware of the great muscular power possessed by insects. Either by robbing her nest of the prey, or by attacking the Cerceris at the moment when she arrived with her booty, and forcing |