Bibliographical Notices. 275 



advancement of Entomology is evident in every page of this book, 

 has divided his history of each species into numerous sections, in 

 such a manner as to extend the space occupied by each to a very 

 unnecessary length, especially in conjunction with another feature, to 

 which we shall refer hereafter. Thus, for example, we have para- 

 graphs under the following titles : — " How noticeable, — Larva ;" 

 " How noticeable, — Imago ;" and then " Mode of Life," the latter 

 containing everything necessary to be known in the two preceding 

 sections, which might certainly be dispensed with, at a saving of 

 about a page to each species, and a corresponding advantage to the 

 student. Again, we cannot see that the observations placed before 

 the synonyms of each species are distinct in nature from those fre- 

 quently placed after them, although arranged by our author in sepa- 

 rate sections, under the titles of " Synonymy" and " Remarks on the 

 Synonymy ;" and we cannot but think therefore that it would have 

 been far better to have amalgamated these remarks under one head. 



It will be seen that the above objections apply solely to the plan 

 which Mr. Stainton has seen fit to adopt in communicating his results 

 to the world, and have therefore nothing to do with the intrinsic ex- 

 cellence of his book ; nay, this very profusion of labour in the literary 

 department of the work may be taken as an earnest that there has 

 been no lack of energy and perseverance in the prosecution of the 

 preliminary investigations. Indeed, the copious information furnished 

 in Mr. Stainton' s book upon every subject connected with the history 

 of these Moths leaves nothing to be desired in this respect ; and the 

 eight admirable plates with which it is illustrated furnish capital and 

 most characteristic representations of the Moths, with their larvae, 

 the mines of the latter, and the cocoons in which the pupae pass their 

 period of inactivity. The first four of these plates were drawn and 

 lithographed by the late lamented Mr. Wing, whose name is a suffi- 

 cient pledge for their excellence, and some of the drawings for the 

 remaining plates were also done by him ; these have been completed 

 by Mr. C. W. Wing and Mr. Ford, and are also exceedingly good, 

 especially those by the latter artist. Some idea of the industry 

 exerted in working out the natural history of the species may best be 

 gained from the fact, that in some cases these little caterpillars, 

 measuring about 2 lines in length, are taken out of the galleries to 

 sit for their portraits, and restored again with such care to their 

 natural position, that they return at once to their ordinary employ- 

 ment of eating, and finally make their appearance in the perfect state, 

 probably to figure in one of the innumerable pages of the * Zoologist,' 

 as what Mr. Kingsley would call " another thought of the divine mind 

 rescued from Hela." But we must proceed to the consideration of 

 another curious and important feature of this book, which certainly 

 exhibits an unusual boldness of design throughout. 



Ever since Ehrenberg discovered that it was impossible to represent 

 Infusoria properly except upon elephant folio plates, it has become 

 more or less the fashion amongst zoologists to consider that the size 

 of works on natural history should be in an inverse ratio to that of 

 the objects treated of. Our author appears to have adopted this 

 principle, and although he does not attempt to rival the learned Pro- 



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