less than 401,061 persons visited the Royal Botanic Gardens-the corresponding number of visitors at the British Museum having been only 440,801. This does not look as if a distance, even of several miles, from the centre of the metropolis would deter people from visiting an attractive institution. And as regards scientific students and professed Naturalists, there can be no question that the suburbs are equally convenient to the majority of such persons, if not more so, than the centre of the city.

In whatever way we look at it, then, we are well content that the matter is finally settled as it is. It would not be difficult to find other and even weightier arguments than those already given in favour of the proposed change. But at present we have neither space nor time to enlarge upon the numerous and oft-repeated complaints of our scientific brethren as to the unfair treatment of the Natural History collections in their present position in Bloomsbury. We will conclude, therefore, by an earnest hope that all these causes of complaint made be removed under the new regime, and that the new Institution of Natural History at South Kensington may be such as may be worthy of the nation which has produced some of the greatest workers in this as in other branches of Science.

XLIX. RECENT WORKS ON SPIDERS.

(1.) BLACKWALL'S SPIDERS OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND. Part II. London: published for the Ray Society by Robert Hardwicke. 1864.

(2.) HISTOIRE NATURELLE DES ARAIGNÉES (ARANÉIDES), par Eugène Simon. Ouvrage contenant 207 figures intercalées dans le texte, et suivi du Catalogue synonymique des espèces Européennes.-Paris, Roret, 1864. 540 pp.

(3.) BESCHREIBUNGEN NEUER UND WENIG BEKANNTER ARTEN AUS DER FAMILIE ORBITELE ODER EPEIRIDE.-Von E. Keyserling. Dresden, 1861.

IN a former volume we have noticed the first portion of Mr. Blackwall's valuable contribution to our knowledge of our native Spiders. We have now the pleasure of introducing to our readers the second. and concluding portion of that work.

The entire volume consists of 384 pages, imperial quarto, with 29 coloured plates, with many magnified representations of the palpi, etc. Of the 304 species of Spiders described in the work, a very large proportion (272) are figured in the plates.

To give an idea of the contents of the volume, we should premise that the group of 8-eyed species, OCTONOCULINA, comprises 10 families and 296 species.

1. Mygalidæ, only represented by one British species, Atypus Sulzeri.

2. Lycoside, comprising 4 genera and 21 species: Lycosa, 16; Dolomedes, 3; Hecaërge, 1; and Sphasus, 1.

3. Salticidæ, comprising 2 genera and 18 species: Eresus, 1; Salticus, 17.

4. Thomisida, comprising 3 genera and 29 species: Thomisus, 19; Philodromus, 9; Sparassus, 1.

5. Drasside, comprising 3 genera and 27 species: Drassus, 14; Clubiona, 12; Argyroneta, 1.

6. Ciniflonidæ, comprising 3 genera and 9 species: Ciniflo, 5; Ergatis, 3; Veleda, 1.

7. Agelenidæ, comprising 4 genera and 15 species: Agelena, 9 ; Tegenaria, 4; Calotes, 1; Textrix, 1.

S. Theridiida, comprising 2 genera and 28 species: Theridion, 27; Pholcus, 1.

9. Linyphiida, comprising 4 genera and 116 species: Linyphia, 33; Neriëne, 48; Walckenaëra, 32; Pachygnatha, 3.

10. Epëirida, comprising 2 genera and 32 species: Epeira, 31; and Tetragnatha, 1.

The group of 6-eyed species, SENOCULINA, comprises only 2 families and 8 species.

11. Dysderida, comprising 4 genera and 7 species: Dysdera, 3; Segestria, 2; Schanobates, 1; Oonops, 1.

12. Seytodide, only represented by a single species, Scytodes thoracica.

Of the above 12 families, the first seven (including 120 species) were treated of in the first portion of the work, already noticed; wo will, therefore, on the present occasion confine our remarks to the five remaining families, which include 181 species.

In the first of these families, Theridiida, the genus Theridion comprises numerous small species of spiders, which "construct snares of numerous fine glossy lines, intersecting one another in different planes and at various angles." Theridion lineatum is one of the species which offer well-marked varieties, two of which have been described by arachnologists as distinct species.

T. quadripunctatum is the species which has become celebrated by the long powers of abstinence shown by a female, which "existed in a closely corked phial, locked up in a bookcase, without receiving any nutriment whatever from October 15th, 1829, to April 30th, 1831, when it died."

T. Tepidariorum is an interesting species, only inhabiting con servatories, and not having occurred in the open air either here or in Germany, it probably is a native of a warmer climate and not a truly indigenous species. "It constructs an extensive, complicated snare, somewhat of a pyramidal form, amongst the stems of plants; and the female fabricates several balloon-shaped cocoons of different sizes varying from one-fifth to one-third of an inch in diameter, which she suspends in the upper part of her snare, with the larger extremities downwards, a single cocoon sometimes containing more. than 400 eggs." Of Theridion varians a singular monstrosity is mentioned: an adult female, which had only six eyes; "the two posterior intermediate ones were entirely wanting, and the posterior eyes of each lateral pair had not half the usual size." Mr. Blackwall well observes: "An inexperienced observer might be induced, by the symmetrical arrangement of the organs of vision in this individual, not only to give it a place in the tribe Senoculina, but also to propose a new genus for its reception."

Theridion pallens is an interesting species on account of the curious form of the cocoons constructed by the female. These are pear-shaped, with several conical protuberances round the broadest part.

Pholcus phalangioides is remarkable for the rapidity of its vibratory motions when disturbed. Most of us have at some time or other observed an Epëira diadema suddenly set itself 'all of a tremble;' and in Pholcus phalangioides this vibratory motion appears to acquire its maximum velocity. This, Mr. Blackwall remarks, "is caused by the partial contraction and extension of the joints of the legs in quick succession, which may be ascertained by occasion

ing specimens of Epeira diadema to continue the action till it becomes so slow, in consequence of the fatigue experienced by the animal, that there is no difficulty in determining the manner in which it is effected."

The family Linyphiide is the most extensive we have, including 116 species, more than one-third of our British Spiders, and nearly as many as are contained in the seven families treated of in the first part of this work. The species of the genus Linyphia construct horizontal sheets of web, and take their station on the underside of it and in an inverted position. The small species of the genera Neriëne and Walckenaëra afford apparently a wide field for future discoveries, many species having been added to the British list during the past few years, mainly through the untiring researches of the Rev. O. Pickard-Cambridge, who we understand has also rendered valuable assistance in preparial materials for and arranging the plates of the present volume.

The family of the Epëiride is that which next engages our attention, and the regularly geometric webs of the species of the genus Epeira, are probably those with which we are most familiar. Epëira calophylla, however, generally has the circles in its web incomplete. Mr. Blackwall observes: "It usually employs a radius as a medium of communication between its net and a small tubular cell of white silk which constitutes its retreat, instead of spinning a separate line for that purpose; and this peculiar appropriation imparts an unfinished appearance to the snare, as it prevents the spider from giving a spiral form to the elastic line on which the viscid globules are disposed. No sooner does the spider arrive at one of the radii adjacent to that in connection with its cell, than it returns, traversing the framework of the snare till it arrives at the adjacent radius on the opposite side, when it retraces its steps." By this process a small section of a circle is omitted from the finished web.

Of Epeira diadema, Mr. Blackwall observes (p. 359) that "in common with the other species belonging to the genus Epëira, its head is always directed downwards when occupying a position in the centre of its snare, and as it is supported on such occasions chiefly by the sustentacula and a line connecting the spinners with its station, the reason of the fact is apparent."

Excepting the 31 species of the genus Epeira, the only other included in the same family is Tetragnatha extensa, which "frequents damp localities, constructing among bushes and plants in the vicinity

of brooks, ditches, and pools, a slight net, having a circular aperture in the centre. The specific name, extensa, has reference to its habit of extending the first and second pairs of legs forwards and the posterior backwards in a line with the body."

The eight species of 6-eyed spiders constituting the families Dysderide and Scytodide, are mostly found in crevices of rocks and walls, or under stones-one only, Scytodes thoracica, frequenting houses.

We trust that the appearance of this volume will give an impetus to the study of Spiders amongst us. When so many species are only recorded as having once occurred in a single locality, it shows lamentably the extreme paucity of observers. That the few workers have indeed worked in good earnest is shown by the volume before us, in which Mr. Blackwall has so successfully concentrated the observations of all our students of Arachnology.

The Ray Society has certainly distributed to its members a good equivalent for their subscription in the volume before us; and we believe, if report speaks truly, none will have occasion to be dissatisfied with the next forthcoming work-Dr. Günther on "The Reptiles of British India."

Since writing our notice of Blackwall's Spiders of Great Britain and Ireland, there has reached us M. Simon's treatise on the same tribe of animals. The scope and object of the two works is essentially different, and in a great measure each may be considered as the complement of the other.

Blackwall's volume is devoted mainly to descriptions of species, whereas the treatise by Simon, though entering fully into the generic characters, treats very briefly of only a few species in each genus, giving, however, a list of all the known species throughout the world, which have been classed under the respective genera.

In the remarks on the habits of the genera, and of those species which are mentioned, there are many more details in the work of Simon than in that of Blackwall.

The woodcuts give representations of most of the generic peculiarities, and occasionally we have figures of entire spiders and their webs and cocoons; in short, as a manual or hand-book to the study of spiders, Simon's Histoire Naturelle des Araignées will prove very useful.

There is, however, one peculiarity in the French volume of which we cannot approve, namely, that, excepting in the list of species at