MISCELLANEOUS. 157 



hands of the general public The hitter would, I have no doubt, learn the names 

 of a few more specimens by the introduction of a popular English nomencla- 

 ture, but whether fcbey would take any further practical interest in the subject is 

 extremely doubtful. If I have missed any points which Mr. Newnham suggested 

 I hope he will enlighten me further on the subject, which is oneof great interest 

 to all who wish to see the " Indian butterflies " occupying the place which they 

 deserve from their beauty and variety. 



W. II. T. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 

 PAPILJO POLYMNESTOfi IN BOMBAY. 



To the Editor of the Journal of the Natural History Society. 



Sir, — At page 3/ of Vol. II. of the Journal, Mr. Aitken says the Papilio polym- 

 neslor is absolutely unknown in Bombay, and he imagines throughout the 

 Konkan. It may be interesting to hirn and others to kno.v that one day this 

 month, a friend and I saw two in the woods of Sivildi, and within an hour, 

 possibly the same pair in the cemetery. They were a little ragged, but strong in 

 flight, and were feeding on the flowers of a large convolvulus. 



In a small spot near the quarry we came upon fifty or sixty of the Danai 

 genutia resting on the grass and trees, and a sweep of the net at a passing Ixias 

 landed one and two of the former. 



W. E. MELVIN. 



Bombay, 4th March, 1889. 



BOOK NOTICES. 

 The Geographicil Distribution of the Family Charadrido?, or the Plovers, Sand- 



pipers, Snipes and their Allies. By Heney Seeboiim. Published by H. 



Tottenham and Co., Strand. 



The name of H. Seebohm is well known as a practical ornithologist of the 

 first rank. A perusal of his work, " Siberia in Europe, " an 1 " Siberia in Asia, " 

 will show that no one man can push practical work further than he has done, 

 and every ornithologist should read the two works referred to above. Apart 

 from their zoological value they are most interesting reading ; but to proceed : 



In the Preface he explains difficulties which had to be overcome in the 

 determination of species, and the definition and limitation of genera. 



The concluding words of the Preface are (referring to the book): — "It possesses 

 at least the merit of originality and (if the author may be permitted to pass sentence 

 on his own work) it does not quite deserve the critical remarks made once to a 

 writer, ' Your book is both good and new, but the part which is good is not 

 new and that which is new is not good.' " 



After the Preface comes a systematic index and diagnoses in Latin, followed 

 by a list of plates, of which there are 21, the plates being limited to those birds 

 which have previously not been figured, or only figured badly. 



