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REVIEW— "INDIAN INSECT PESTS." 



The publication of " Indian Insect Pests " by H. Maxwell-Lefroy, M.A., 

 F.E.S., F.Z.S., Imperial Entomologist, marks a new stage in the advance of 

 Indian Entomology. That those orders of insects which are beautiful or 

 curious should have been investigated before those which are useful or harm- 

 ful was natural and reflects no discredit on entomologists, for, though it has 

 been abundantly proved in our time that a knowledge of science is of the 

 highest utility, considerations of utility are not the highest motive of science. 

 Since the practical value of an intimate knowledge of all forms of life has 

 begun to be generally recognised, the benevolent contempt with which the 

 enthusiast with the butterfly net used formerly to be regarded has given place 

 to a more respectful feeling ; but the said enthusiast deserves the more honour 

 that he was actuated by no motive except what the author of this book happily 

 describes as " that intense organised curiosity which lies at the root of modern 

 science." That this curiosity should be linked with admiration for the beautiful 

 is natural and right, and that it should commence with what is most obvious and 

 accessible was inevitable. So butterflies were attacked first, and it is now nearly 

 fifty years since Captain Marshall started the magnificent work, which, though 

 never completed, has stimulated the study of Indian butterflies to a degree 

 that cannot be estimated. Fifteen years passed before the same thing was 

 attempted on behalf of moths, and the Hymenoptera followed quite recently. 

 Coleoptera,Diptera and Orthoptera, the Orders to which our worst insect pests 

 belong, with Hemiptera and Neuroptera, must still be studied under difficul- 

 ties which are practically insurmountable to the district officer. But for a 

 long time the Indian Museum at Calcutta has been doing work which 

 amateurs had not the means of doing, and has directed its attention especially 

 to economic entomology. From time to time fragments of the knowledge 

 acquired were given to the public in the form of Indian Museum Notes, very 

 useful of their kind, but easily lost and soon forgotten. The appoint- 

 ment of a Government entomologist gives continuity to this work, and the 

 present incumbent has been well advised to gather up and publish, in a handy 

 form, the practical results of the work done up to date by himself and other 

 investigators. The amount of it will surprise those who have not been in 

 touch with the workers in this field. About a hundred species of injurious 

 insects are here described and in most cases the life history of the pest is 

 described ah ovo, so that the agriculturist may know the tactics of the enemy 

 with which he has to deal : valuable suggestions are often made as to the best 

 means of combatting it. A number of insects are included which, as a matter 

 of sentiment, we would rather had been omitted, as for example, the caterpillar 

 of the swallow-tailed (without tails) butterfly, commonly known as Papiio 

 erithonius, which the author calls P. demolius. The occasions on which it 

 amounts to a pest must be very rare indeed and the man who does not then 

 adopt the simple and sufficient remedy of picking off the conspicuous cater- 



