HYMENOPTERA BRITANNICA. 309 



Fabrician species, including the descriptions, not only of new genera 

 founded upon them, but also of completely new species. — We can- 

 not but think that if these remarks and annotations had exhibited 

 more method, they would have possessed much more utility ; the 

 notes upon the species might have been restricted in their extent, in the 

 same manner as those given upon the species of Olivier in this Maga- 

 zine. The tabular views given of the modern groups of genera, might 

 have formed a distinct part of the work, arranged according to their re- 

 lations ; and the descriptions of all the new genera and species ought 

 to have been confined to a separate appendix. These, it is true, are 

 but points of editorial arrangement, and do not in the slightest degree 

 militate against the value of the facts and observations themselves ; but 

 we must be allowed to enter our protest, as we perceive that Mr. Mac- 

 Leay has also done, against the establishment of the mass of new fami- 

 lies, terminating in idee, into which the old Linnean genera are cut up 

 by Mr. Hope and some recent French authors, as Messrs Laporte and 

 Brulle, as well as by Mr. Kirby, in his American insects. The Cara- 

 bidce alone are formed into no less than forty of such families by Mr. 

 Hope, without any table being given to show their classification or re- 

 lations inter se. We must also object to the nomenclature of such 

 groups. Thus whilst we have Megacephalidce, Manticoridce , Cicin- 

 delidce, Agridce, &c, formed from the feminine names Megacephala, 

 &c, we find Clcenhdse, from the masculine Clcenius, AnthrdL&?e, Le- 

 bradse &c. from the feminine Anthra &c. We do but repeat the opi- 

 nion already expressed by us in this work, that the uniform termination 

 in idw, first proposed by Mr. Kirby, ought to be retained for the groups 

 equivalent with the genera of Linnaeus, and the " families naturelles " of 

 Latreille. We would also suggest the advantage of the future parts, as 

 well as the promised second edition, undergoing a more careful revision, 

 as the present parts exhibit many proofs of great haste in their compo- 

 sition. For instance, in p. 13 (part ii) Apteressa, Hope, is called both 

 a genus and a subgenus ; the same thing occurs with Apotomopterus, 

 (p. 48.) Graphipterus is called Graphiptera (p, 52) ; and numerous 

 other lapsus calami might be pointed out. 



Art. II. — Hymenoptera Britannica; Oxyura. Auctore A. H. Haliday. — 

 Fascic. l.pp. 16. London : H. Bailliere. 1839. 



The present brochure contains the commencement of a Monograph of 

 the British Oxyurous Hymenoptera, and includes the genus Procto- 

 trupes, Latr., of which nineteen species are described with great care. 

 We know no one so well qualified for such a task as Mr. Haliday, and 

 look forward with interest to the appearance of the succeeding fasciculi 

 of the work. 



