1 Vide, however, p. 8.—Ed.

2 This, however, is a subject upon which naturalists of the highest rank hold different opinions, many of those most highly qualified to form a correct judgment advocating the tenets propounded by Mr. Charles Darwin.—Ed.

3 "The Ocean World," from the French of Louis Figuier. "The Insect World," from the French of the same author.

4 By some naturalists the Amphibia are considered as a distinct class, by other as a sub-class either of Reptilia or of Pisces. Of the reptiles proper (at present existing), the arrangement into the orders Testudinata (or Tortoises), Sauria (or Lizards), and Ophidia (or Snakes), is the one most generally adopted; but De Blainville elevates the Loricata (or Crocodiles) to the rank of an order, and others have adopted a division of corresponding rank, Saurophidia, for the Anguis series above referred to; but the latter are merely limbless Lizards (or with abortive limbs) akin to the Scinques.—Ed.

5 Birds, however, are oviparous, and nevertheless manifest the strongest parental affection.—Ed.

6 The Necturus, a Siren-like animal inhabiting the lakes of North America, has a series of small, fang-like teeth above and below, which are stated to give an envenomed bite.—"Proceedings of the Zoological Society" for 1857, p. 61. For poison-organs in certain fishes, vide the same publication for 1864, p. 155.—Ed.

7 Vide subsequent notes on this subject, in p. 31, &c.

8 They are regarded by some naturalists as a sub-class of Fishes rather than of Reptiles, as piscine forms certain of which develop to a parallelism with the ordinary reptilian condition of advancement; their reproduction especially favouring this view or idea.—Ed.

9 The same phenomena occur, with certain variations, in some other American Batrachians, as the Nototrema marsupiatum of Mexico, and the Notode'phys ovifera of Venezuela. In the Alytes obstetricans of France, Switzerland, and the Rhine district, the ova (about sixty in number) adhere to the hind-legs of the male parent!—Ed.

10 In Dr. GÜnther's Catalogue of the Batrachia Salientia (as Dr. Gray terms them) in the collection of the British Museum, published in 1858, and which includes all the ascertained species up to the time of publication, as many as 282 are enumerated, which are arranged under twenty-five groups holding the rank of families.—Ed.

11 In the British Museum Catalogue (1850) these Amphibians are styled Batrachia Gradientia, and are distributed under three families, comprising fifty-two recognised species. The class Amphibia is divided by Dr. Gray into five orders—viz. Batrachia, Pseudosauria, Pseudophidia, Pseudichthyes, and Meantia. Of these the first, or the Batrachia, are divided into the sub-orders Salientia and Gradientia, the latter consisting of three families, SalamandridÆ, MolgidÆ, and PlethodontidÆ. The second order, Pseudosauria, comprises the families ProtonopsidÆ (which contains the Sieboldtia maxima) and AmphiumidÆ. The third order, Pseudophidia, consists of only one family, CÆciliidÆ. The fourth order, Pseudichthyes, also contains one family only, the LepidosirenidÆ. The fifth order, Meantia, comprises the two families ProteidÆ and SirenidÆ. Twenty-four ascertained species are distributed amongst the last four of these orders; but the limits of this work do not permit of a more detailed notice of these various groups of Batrachia Gradientia. More recently, Dr. GÜnther, in his work on the reptiles of the Indian region, has pointed out certain structural characters connected with the generative system which show that the Pseudophidia do not properly belong to the Batrachia; nor is their place in the system as yet quite satisfactorily determined. They seem rather to be a very humble form of reptile; while the Pseudichthyes should rather be subordinated to the class Pisces: though, as we have seen, there are naturalists who would refer all of the Batrachia to the fish class, certain forms amongst them rising to a parallelism of development with Reptilia, but still not constituting true reptiles. The mode of reproduction especially is in favour of this view. Both Pseudophidia and Pseudichthyes are intertropical or subtropical animals, whereas the rest of the Batrachia Gradientia belong almost exclusively to the northern temperate zone; any exceptional case occurring probably in very elevated regions. Of sixty-six ascertained species, forty-nine are American, and there are five from Japan, inclusive of the Sieboldtia maxima. But more species have been discovered since the catalogue cited has been drawn up, and of course there must be many yet to be discovered. Five species are referred to the Pseudophidia, and three only to the Pseudichthyes.—Ed.

12 "A Hunter's Life in South Africa," vol. ii. p. 133. Vide also Chapman's "Travels in the Interior of South Africa," vol. ii. p. 34. We have personally captured or assisted in capturing various species of both families in India, and it is no easy matter to do so sometimes, from the rapidity of their movements among the branches of trees and bushes; but most assuredly we never saw one of these most beautiful reptiles attempt to dart or to spurt at anybody, and as they have no poison fangs the latter must needs be an error.—Ed.

13 Although the Cobra di capella is so plentiful in India, we could never hear of one instance of a European being stung by one during a residence of more than twenty-one years in that country. They prey chiefly on Rats, the presence of which is the attraction which brings them about human habitations; and they also prey occasionally upon young chickens, and commonly upon Toads.—Ed.

14 "Pliny," remarks Sir J. E. Tennent, "notices the affection that subsists between the male and female Asp (or African Cobra); and that if one of them happens to be killed, the other seeks to avenge its death"—lib. viii. c. 37.

15 This name being also applied to the harmless Tortrix scytale

16 We have seen a Cobra thus spurt its venom against the plate-glass cover of the box in which it was kept.—Ed.

17 Dekay, in his "Natural History of New York," remarks that it is a popular belief that Hogs are particularly destructive to Rattlesnakes; but neither their bristly hide nor their thick teguments afford them perfect immunity from the stroke of this reptile. I was informed by a respectable farmer that he lost three Hogs in one season by the poison either of the Copperhead or Rattlesnake.—Ed.

18 In Chapman's "Travels in the Interior of South Africa" (vol. ii. p. 59), we read—"May 19th. I lost my best Dog, CÆsar. He had seized a large Puff-adder by the tail, and shook it. When the Snake was released it darted at the Dog's face, and having fixed its fangs in its cheek, stuck there like a Bull-dog until it was killed. The Dog only survived ten minutes."—Ed.

19 A few cases have been known.—Ed.

20 Moodie's "Ten Years in South Africa," vol. i. p. 318.

21 Subsequent experiments with the virus of the Indian Cobra have conclusively proved that ammonia is not a sufficient antidote, as alleged in p. 95.—Ed.

22 "Proceedings of the Zoological Society" for 1850, p. 106.

23 "A Naturalist's Sojourn in Jamaica," by P. H. Gosse.

24 From the noise made by their wings they are in some localities called Whistlers.

25 Catesby says: "These birds frequent near the sea-coasts of Carolina. They fly close to the surface of the water, from which they seem to receive somewhat of food."

26 Ivory Gull of Yarrell.

27 The Masked Gull of Yarrell.

28 Black-headed Gull of Yarrell.

29 From the Portuguese word Alcatraz, applied by the early navigators of that nation to Cormorants and large sea-birds.—Ed.

30 The weight of this bird much varies. A specimen in the Leverian Museum measured thirteen feet from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other. One shot off the Cape of Good Hope was said to be seventeen and a half feet.—Ed.

31 Captain Cook mentions a variety frequently captured by the inhabitants of Kamtschatka and the Kurile Islands.

32 In China a great number of species are to be found, all robed in the most brilliant plumage, nine of which we have collected.—Ed.