298 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 1890. 



72. Papilio ganesa, Doubleday. 



73. „ parts, Linnaeus. 



74. ,, castor, Westwood. 



75. „ antiphates, Cramer. 



76. ,, dissimilis, Linnaeus. 



77. „ protenor, Cramer. 



78. „ rhefenor, Westwood. 



79. ,, philoxenus, Gray. 



80. „ sarpedon, Linnams. 



81. „ aristolochicB, Fabricius. 



82. „ mahadeva, Moore. 



83. „ macarcus, Godart. 



Family HESPERIID^E. 



84. Badamia exclamationis, Fabricius. 



BOOK NOTICES. 



THE BUTTERFLIES OF INDIA, BURMA AND CEYLON. 



The third volume of The Butterflies of India, Burma and Ceylon, dealing with 

 the Lycaenidse, bears only the name of Mr. de Niceville, Major G. F. L. Marshall 

 having been forced, by official work and bad health, to retire from the work. This 

 volume, however, fully keeps up the character for unsparing thoroughness estab- 

 lished by the first. It is difficult to recall another book on any branch of Natural 

 History so absolutely complete. Indeed, if there is any fault to be found with the 

 book, it is that it is too cumbrous. It might have been reduced in volume, without 

 loss of usefulness, by leaving out much that has been inserted about the numberless 

 pseudo-species which have been made out of every butterfly subject to much 

 variation. No penalty attaches to the description of a new species, and it is an 

 easy road to a kind of distinction which is dear to some men, so that descriptions, 

 under new names, of mere casual, or seasonal, varieties are rashly given to the 

 world, and the lepidopterist finds his time less occupied with exploring the 

 history and ways of butterflies than the errors and absurdities of men. That 

 Mr. de Niceville, before he could write his book, should have to work his way 

 through tons of rubbish was inevitable ; but it scarcely seems necessary that he 

 should take his readers with him. Take, for example, the genus Curetis. Agreeing 

 with Hewitson, Mr. de Niceville believes that there are but two species, bulis and 

 thetys, nevertheless he describes thirteen, seven of which have Mr. Moore for 

 their godfather. The question is not whether Mr. Moore or Mr. de Niceville is 



