ELEMENTS OF BRITISH ENTOMOLOGY. 503 



Art. II. — Elements of British Entomology ; containing a General Intro- 

 duction to the Science, a Systematic Description of all the Genera, and a 

 List of all the Species, of British Insects, with a History of their Trans- 

 formations, Habits, Economy, and Distribution, with outline figures of the 

 Families, and their Larvce and Pupce, an explanation of the technical terms, 

 and full directions for collecting. By W. E. Shuckard, Libr. R. S., Au- 

 thor of the " Essay on the Fossorial Hymenoptera." Part I. illustrated 

 with 50 wood-cuts. London: Bailliere. 1839. 8vo. pp. 240. 



M. Macquart, in the introduction to his new work upon ex- 

 otic Dlptera, speaks of the recent progress which Entomology 

 has made in this country as most singular. " En Angleterre" 

 says he, " TEntomologie a pris un essor tres-remarquable, 

 graces aux travaux si connues de Kirby," &c; and the work 

 whose lengthy title is given above will, when completed, add 

 considerably to the grounds for the eulogium of the French 

 dipterologist. 



The present first part commences with the technical de- 

 scription of the order Coleoptera, leaving the general intro- 

 duction to the science, including the primary distribution of 

 the insect tribes, for a future number. As the paging of the 

 present number commences with 1, we would suggest that 

 the promised introduction should be paged in a different type, 

 so as to allow of its being placed at the commencement of the 

 volume, its legitimate situation, rather than at the end. 



Three pages are devoted to the general sketch of the order 

 of beetles, in which the author states his conviction " that the 

 advantages to be derived from the tarsal system, in its gene- 

 ral application, by facilitating a familiarity with the order, 

 much more than counterbalance the inconvenience of regard- 

 ing as exceptions to the rule, those genera which do not har- 

 monize with it, but which their affinities will not allow to be 

 displaced." He accordingly adopts the four primary divisions 

 of Latreille, for which he retains the names Pentamera, 

 Heteromera, Tetramera, and Trimera, notwithstanding the 

 acknowledged incorrectness of the two latter names, and the 

 alterations suggested by some recent authors for their correc- 

 tion. 



As some variations are suggested in the arrangement of the 

 families and subfamilies of the Pentamera, it may be useful 

 to give the following sketch of the distribution which is here 

 proposed. The Pentamerous beetles, or those which have 

 five joints in each of their six tarsi, are divided into five sub- 

 divisions, namely, the Adephagi, Brachelytra, Helocera, 

 Petalocera, and Prionocera. The first four of these five di- 

 visions, constituting the first of the four divisions of the first 

 order (Coleoptera), entirely occupy the present part. 



