NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS.
We have during the last few years drawn the attention of our readers to several volumes of the 'Cambridge Natural History.' We now invite their perusal of the first volume issued by the sister University. For this is really an Oxford publication; and, as the editor states in his preface, "the authors are, for the most part, graduates of the University of Oxford, though it may not be possible to maintain this limitation in future sections of the work." "The work is addressed to the serious student of zoology," and as such must be taken and appreciated. We seem to be approaching once more the high water-mark of technical zoology. These pages have distinctly the imprimatur of the editor, and may be accepted as conveying information that is full, recent, and reliable. Prof. Ray Lankester has very thoroughly identified himself with the volumes, and seems to have accepted a complete responsibility as editor. Mr. Bather has undertaken the greater part of the work; Dr. Gregory has contributed the chapter on the Stelleroidea and Echinoidea; that on the Holothurioidea is from the pen of Mr. Goodrich.
It is to be hoped that this volume will circulate beyond the arena of even the serious student, if that term is to bear a restricted significance. The purely British zoologist is a recruit from many non-academical centres: he is often a good observer, with little technical knowledge; his tastes are frequently bionomical rather than widely biological; his knowledge of the living habits of an animal are generally in an inverse ratio to that of its phylogeny and ontogeny; he is practically a field naturalist, and knows the haunts of his creatures rather than the facts of their
