182 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol XVII* 



pillars deserves to suffer loss. Ordinarily, with respect to pests of this sort, 

 the beauty of which amply compensates for any little harm that they do, we 

 would rather endeavour to give currency to the sentiment of Rcbert Burns : — 



I'll get a blessing wi' the lave 

 And never miss't. 



A number of other insects are described which are the natural enemies of 

 the pests and wholesome counsel is offered with respect to the encouragement 

 of these and other friends of the farmer, especially birds. 



It is evident that, however simply a subject of this nature may be presented, 

 it must, to a certain extent, be unintelligible to a man void of all knowledge of 

 the structure and life of an insect. Therefore the firrt chapter of the book is 

 devoted to imparting a small measure of this necessary knowledge. This part 

 of the work appears to us to be admirably done. It is soundly scientific 

 without technicality and the abundant and excellent illustrations help to make 

 it very lucid. It is refreshing to find the distinction clearly and emphatically 

 laid down between those insects which have a metamorphosis and those which 

 have none ; for this has been much obscured by the too common practice of 

 applying the word larva to the young of grasshoppers, cockroaches, &c. A 

 young cockroach is not a larva, nor is a calf, nor a baby. These retain the 

 same form through life, with the exception of certain outward accompaniments 

 of adolescence, such as wings, horns, or a beard. The marvellous phenomenon 

 of metamorphosis is made more wonderful by the fact of its being confined to 

 certain orders of insects, and every teacher of entomology ought to make this 

 truth stand out like a lighthouse, else he is not fit to teach. The distinction 

 has a practical importance too, which the author of " Indian Insect Bests" has 

 apprehended. 



The book ends with formulas for insecticides and other miscellaneous infor- 

 mation, a copious index and a list of plants. Everything has been done to 

 make it complete within its limits and the illustrations are superabundant 

 and of high quality. Finally, the book is a marvel of cheapness. In short it 

 is eminently fitted for usefulness. But who will use it ? The ordinary 

 " ryot " from the Himalayas to Cape Comoriu stands in deep need of the 

 lessons which it contains, for his ignorance of simple matters affecting his- 

 well-being is, in this direction, incredible. He is not by any means so much 

 in need of instruction in his own business as many of those who feel called 

 upon to put him right are apt to imagine. But with respect to animal life 

 he is strangely ignorant. He has been plagued by mosquitoes for a hundred 

 generations without discovering that mosquitoes come out of water. Nor will 

 he believe it when told. Mosquitoes are birds ; the little wriggling creatures 

 which you point out to him in the water are fishes : how can one turn into 

 the other? But his mind is naturally open to the miraculous, and if ocular 

 demonstration of the transformation of the swimming larva into the flying 

 mosquito is presented to him, his conversion will be immediate and thorough. 

 He will be ready for practical applications of his new and wonderful know- 



