68 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



subject of preparatory stages, food plants, rearing and describing larvae, 

 etc., etc. Tlien follows an index to genera, and the work 

 ends with a most useful food habit index. The general plan 

 of the work is to give the names of all species of which any 

 of the preparatory stages have been described, followed by the 

 references to these descriptions in the order in which they were 

 published, the dates of publication being given. Upon turning to any 

 species one can thus see at a glance just what of its earlier stages have 

 been described, and by looking up the references can lell whether or not 

 they could be supplemented with advantage, while the absence of any 

 species from the list is a very sure indication that its preparatory stages 

 are wholly undescribed. One can thus see just what has already been 

 done and what remains for investigation, and this is mo^t important, for 

 it is undoubtedly the case that many observations of interest and value 

 are made every year without being puolished, chiefly, perhaps, because 

 those who make them aie unaware that they have not previously been 

 given to the world. The amount of literature examined in the preparation 

 of this work was very great, and the care necessary to avoid errors and 

 omissions proportionate. The table on page 7 shows that some part of 

 the earlier stages of 1069 butterflies and moths have been described, but 

 many of these descriptions are very incomplete, and we can thus see how 

 much still remains to be done in working out these life histories. Of 

 course in a work of this kind, where the field was so large, it was inevi- 

 table that some mistakes and omissions should occur, but it is most 

 creditable to Mr. Edwards that they should be so few and so unimportant. 

 It was unfortunate that the printing had to be done during the absence of 

 Mr. Edwards in Australia, as otherwise most of the typographical errors 

 would unquestionably have been detected and corrected. It is, however. 



a mistake to refer to author's separates, instead of to the work in which the 

 description originally appeared, as for example in regard to the larva of 

 Chionobas Macounii — the reference given is "J. Fletcher, a trip to 

 Nepigon, p. 12," whereas it ought to be, " J. Fletcher, Rep. Ent. Soc , Out., 

 1 888, p. 85." It is greatly to be hoped that Mr. Edwards will be able to 

 fulfil his promise to issue yearly supplements, in order that the work may 

 be kept up to dale and its usefulness be thus maintained. The price of 

 this work was fifty cents, but the first edition has already been exhausted. 

 It is greatly to be hoped that a new edition will soon be issued, as no 

 working lepidopterist can get on without it. H. H. Lyman. 



Mailed March 3rd. 



