four volumes of the history contain, in consequence, 1114 species; of which, 244 had escaped the observations of naturalists prior to the publication of our inquiries. These species are divided into sixty genera, long since adopted; and ninetytwo others, which we have been obliged to form.'

The introduction to this volume is entitled the Third View of Nature. The two first views were taken by Buffon: our author furnishes the third.

We have not been highly gratified with the perusal of this introduction. It contains a general analogy between fishes and birds, not carried to so great an extent as to be peculiarly interesting; and it is singular that M. la Cépède should have omitted the common instance of a similarity of structure in fins and wings, when the organs of the flying fish are adapted for both purposes. Our author proceeds to examine the manners of fishes, with a view to the original production of the species. When the vast continents were overwhelmed with water, there could be but a very small number, in his opinion, of these animals, because they require a shore on which to deposit their ova and spawn. This is in some degree true; but it does not affect those fishes that constantly inhabit the ocean; and even in a universal submersion there must be shallows; and fishes require no more. If any circumstance more particularly excite our admiration of Moses' solemn and sublime cosmogony, it is, that, in the great work of creation, fishes preceded. We know, from the fossils now discovered, that they existed before land animals, before birds, before vegetables, as Moses has told us; and, to add, if possible, to the evidence, we find the remains of animals, which could only have existed in the shallows of an ocean, which could only have lived on those productions offered to its mouth. The megalatherium, whose skeleton was lately exhibited, has not, from the formation of the bones of his neck, a power of raising or depressing his head in any considerable degree. He could not crop the herbage below, nor raise 'his mouth to the branches above; so that, if a land animal, he must have been compelled to have fed on those trees only whose boughs met his mouth. It is more reasonable, therefore, to conclude, with governor Pownal, that he existed only when the earth was inhabited by fishes, when the sea, in those parts where the continents now are, was of course shallow; and where, consequently, myriads of fishes would hourly meet his monstrous jaws. The hippopotamus, an animal almost equally immovable, still exists, because he can occasionally feed on vegetable substances. It may be said, Are there not, at this time, numerous shallows where a megalatherium might live? There may be such; but ravenous animals are few in number, and the species is easily destroyed; and, when we reflect on the continuance of almost every species formerly known, in

some spot of the globe, we shall scarcely be able to account for the disappearance of any, but from some change in the state of this planet, not adapted for its support.

M. la Cépède adverts also to the confusion in the fossil re mains of fishes which inhabit shores and deep waters; to the mixture of the inhabitants of the tropical and arctic seas. We know that some considerable convulsions must have taken place. Even from the Mosaic account of the creation, a fomes must have been left, which would, at some time, kindle into a destructive flame; but we ought also to consider, that, when the sea covered the earth, the littoral fishes were those of the shallows only, and not distinguishable from the pelagian; and, while there was no dry land, the temperature was more equable and mild. A question, that our author has not adverted to, is, the source of river fishes; since, at the creation of these animals, all was sea. As it is not a part of M. La Cépède's subject, we shall not enlarge on it, but add only our opinion, that all fishes were originally inhabitants of the ocean; that, by degrees, they have been accustomed to fresher water, and that, in general, they have degenerated in it. The herring is found in the Lake Baikal, evidently in a vitiated state. It is time, however, to return to the remaining genera of fishes described in the present volume.

The harpè cæruleo-aureus is a new species, and one of singular beauty; it has only two colours, but these are of gold and the purest sapphire. It was delineated on vellum by Plumier. It is distinguished by its teeth, the length and size of the dorsal and anal fins, while the latter is attached round a very large, compressed, triangular prolongation of muscular flesh.

The pimelepterus is also a new genus, found in South America, described and delineated by Bosc. The fins are adipose, and the inferior fins further from the throat than the pectoral.

The cherlio contains two species, from the manuscripts of Commerson. The body and tail are very long; the end of the muzzle flat; the lips, particularly of the lower jaw, pendulous.' These circumstances sufficiently discriminate the genus.

The polatonus is also a new genus, so called from its divided. opercula. It is from Carolina, communicated by M. Bosc. In its native haunts it is called skib jack, which has procured its only species the trivial name skib.

The leiostome is from the same country, consisting also of a single species, sent by the same naturalist. The jaws are without teeth, and entirely concealed under the lip; lips extensible; mouth placed under the muzzle; no denticle of point in the opercles; two dorsal fins.

The centrolophus is a new genus, from Rouen; and its only species is denominated niger,' from its colour. Its distinguishing marks are a longitudinal crest, and a longitudinal rank of prickles, separate from each other, and, in part, concealed under the skin, and above the neck; the teeth small, fine, and equal, a little distant from each other.

The eques is a new genus, established, under this title, by Bloch. The only species, the Americanus, is the chatodon lanceolatus of Linnæus, singularly beautiful in its colours. It has many rows of teeth, two dorsal fins; the first of which is almost as high as the body.

The leiognatus argenteus is the scomber edentulus of Bloch. It greatly resembles the scombri; but the absence of teeth determined our author to form of it a new genus; perhaps with propriety.

The chaetodon is a numerous genus, consisting of forty species. The greater number were known to Linnæus; but his genus is far more numerous; and, as our author's reasons for separating the other species will illustrate many of the subsequent genera, we shall transcribe them.

The word chaetodon implying teeth more or less soft, and, like silk or hair, moveable and elastic, I thought right to admit such only as had these very obvious characteristics, and which also had the muzzle somewhat extended; a straight aperture at the mouth; small scales on one or many of their fins, or a very elevated body; lastly, the body and tail very flat in the direction of their width.

We have separated from this genus, and distributed in small particular families, first, the fishes which differ from the true chatodons, by prickles wholly, or almost wholly, without a membrane, and placed separately before the dorsal fins. These I call the acanthinions; 2dly, those which have two dorsal fins, chaetodipteri; 3dly, those whose opercle is indented, and which have one dorsal fin only, pomacentri; 4thly, the pomadysi, with two dorsal fins, and an indented operculum; 5thly, the pomacanthi, which have the opercles armed with prickles; 6thly, holocanthi, whose dentelated opercles are also stuck with points, or needles; and, 7thly, those which have denticles, prickles, and two dorsal fins, the enoplosi.

All these species have also the flexible teeth, like the fishes for which we have reserved the genus chaetodon. We have separated, for more important reasons, the glyphisodons, which have indented teeth; the acanthures, the sides of whose tail are armed with one, or several spines, and whose teeth are not flexible; the aspisures, the sides of whose tail are covered with a kind of buckler; and the acanthopodes, whose thoracic fins

are composed only of one or two spines. We have thus arranged in twelve genera the fishes commonly comprised in two, the chatodons and acanthures.'

The species of chatodon, we have said, were generally known to Linnæus. Mungo Park has, however, furnished two, the cannellatus and trifasciatus, described in the third volume of the Linnæan Transactions. Bloch has described five; Commerson three; and Plumier one.

On the other species of chatodon, this being arranged in twelve genera, we need not enlarge. They occur, in general, in Gmelin's edition of the Linnæan System; but Commerson, the Dutch collection, and Bloch, have furnished a few new species. The enoplosus was found on the coast of Australasia, and described by Mr. White, whose name it bears.

The selene is a new genus. The body of the fishes which compose it is very compressed, and on each side presents the form of a pentagon or tetragon; the line of the front is almost vertical; the distance from the highest part of the neck to above the muzzle, is at least equal to that from the throat to the anal fin; two dorsal fins; one or more prickles between them; the first radii of the second dorsal extending, at least, beyond the extremity of the tail. The first species is from Plumier, the second is the zeus quadratus L.

The argyreiosus contains only one species, the A. vomer; the zeus vomer L. It approaches very near the selene argentea, and perhaps might have been brought under this genus.

The zeus is a Linnæan genus, somewhat more strictly li mited than in the System of Nature. To this genus, the dorey, the delight of every epicure, from the time of Ovid to Quin, belongs the term is French (doré), and derived from the golden yellow colour mixed with the green.

The gallus virescens is the zeus gallus of Linnæus, probably not meriting a generic distinction. The chrysolotus luna is the zeus luna L.; the capros aper, the zeus aper L.

The pleuronectes is a genus of former naturalists; it is of the turbot tribe, and shortly characterized by having both eyes on the same side of the head. It consists of twenty-nine species. The description of the P. fletan, the halibut, is long and interesting; but the latter is only called turbot in Scotland. The dab, the sole, the plaice, and the flounder, are well known in England. These, with the P. ocellatus, tridactylus, zebra, plagiusa, maximus (the English turbot), rhombus, punctatus, dentatus, passer, papillosus, japonicus, and argus, are Linnæan species. From Petiver our author has collected the argenteus; from Klein, the P. macrolepidotus; and the P. Commersonii from Commerson.

The achivus is a new genus, comprehending six species.

Its distinguishing characteristics are:- the head, body, and tail very compressed, without pectoral fins: Gronovias and Commerson furnish the two first species; the Dutch collection the third. The A. fasciatus is the pleuronectes lineatus of Gmelin's edition-the P. achivus of the tenth edition of the Systema Natura. The A. bilinearas is the P. bilineatus of Linnæus. The last species is from the Dutch collection.

The volume concludes with some supplements. Three new species are added to the genus petromyzon; eight to the genus raia, chiefly from the French coast; another squalus from the second volume of the Linnæan Transactions; two balistes from Mungo Park, in the Linnean Transactions; another cyclopterus from Havre; an ophisurus from the Dutch collection; three species of stromateus from Bloch; a chrysostomus, a scomber, and seven new species of caranx, from Bloch; another caranxmorus and two species of centranotus from the same naruralist; two labri from Bosc; another lutjan from Bloch, and one overlooked among the chatodons of Linnæus-viz. C. arcuanus; two species of centropomus from Commerson; a species of holocentrus from Linnæus, chatodon bifasciatus L.; two species of chætodon from Commerson, with various additions of synonyms.

One new genus is added-a most formidable animal, from its size, its activity, its address, and its arms. It resembles the sword-fish, and is styled machaira, and is caught near the Isle of Ré. We shall only add its definition : The superior jaw elongated in the form of a sheath of a sword, and of a length equal to a fifth, or at most a quarter, of the length of the animai; two osseous and lanceolated bucklers from each side of the extremity of the tail; two dorsal fins."

ART. V.-Voyage en Islande fait par Ordre de Sa Majesté Danoise, &c.

Tracels in Iceland, undertaken by Order of his Danish Majesty, containing Observations on the Manners and Customs of the Inhabitants, a Description of its Lakes, Rizers, Glaciers, hot Springs, and Volcanoes, different Kinds of Earths, Stones, Fossils, Petrifactions, Animals, Fishes, Insects, &c. with an Atlas. Translated from the Danish by Walter de la Peyronie. 5 Vols. 870. Imported by De Boffe.

THIS singular island, which freezes and burns within a compass so minute as that a line can be almost drawn between the limits of the greatest heat and severest cold, is not unknown to the English reader, and less to the English philosopher. Horrebow, Anderson, and others, long since pointed out its various attractions and miseries. Van Troil, accom