REVIEWS 247 



Bees are elucidated in a particularly interesting manner, including 

 a detailed account of the anatomy of the proboscis of Bombus. 

 The sections devoted to Wasps' Nests, Features of Ant-life, Structure 

 of the Imago in Lepidoptera, Blood-sucking Diptera, Vocal Struc- 

 tures of the Cicadidas, and Parthenogenesis in the Aphid^e and 

 Coccidoe, are also worthy of special notice. It is difficult, however, 

 to particularise, as the numerous groups of Insects are looked upon 

 with varied degrees of interest by different readers. We can only 

 say that all are well treated of, and both volumes can be thoroughly 

 recommended as containing an invaluable summary of our present 

 state of entomological knowledge. P. H. G. 



FLORA OF CUMBERLAND, containing a full list of the flowering 

 plants and ferns to be found in the county, according to the latest 

 and reliable authorities. By William Hodgson. With a Map of the 

 County. (Carlisle : W. Meals and Co., 1898.) Pp. xxxvi. and 398. 



The appearance of this Flora was looked forward to with con- 

 siderable interest, since it treats of a very charming district which 

 is well known to all English pedestrians, and it was known that it 

 comprised many local plants, and that the highest English moun- 

 tains were to be found in the area it embraced. 



In this volume Mr. Hodgson has given the results of his arduous 

 labours ; and he must be congratulated on filling up another gap 

 in the list of counties of England of which there were no published 

 Floras. 



Each compiler of a county Flora has his own idea as to the 

 manner in which a Flora shall be written, and therefore consider- 

 able latitude must be given to the authors of such works ; but there 

 appears to be a consensus of opinion on certain points. Among 

 these are, that a Flora, to be complete, should contain, as far as 

 possible, all the references which have appeared in botanical 

 literature to the plants of a county. In this respect the authors of 

 the " Flora of Middlesex " set a noteworthy example of general 

 excellence. Then, a local Flora should give the general reader 

 some idea of the frequency or otherwise of the plants which occur 

 in the area treated of, the kinds of soil or geological formations on 

 which they occur, and the times of flowering in the county ; and in 

 these respects the excellent Floras of North -West Yorkshire and 

 Herefordshire are good instances. 



The altitudes of the chief lakes and tarns would also have been 

 useful and interesting. Some of the misprints are curious. The 

 use of capitals in the specific names follows no rule, and the absence 

 of them in the text for the genera is not a pleasing innovation. 



The " Flora " proves that there is an immense amount of work 

 still to be done in the Cumberland hills, and we must thank Mr. 

 Hodgson for having given us this important contribution towards the 

 history of their flora. G. CLARIDGE DRUCE. 



