tB8 Newman's Sphinx \espif6rmis. 



which the ^phin^r wspiformis of Linnaeus occupies in the 

 animal kingdom; and, in prosecuting this enquiry, Mr. New- 

 man has manifested much comprehensiveness of mind, acute- 

 ness of reasoning, and power of illustration. Dissatisfied, as 

 we believe every scientific admirer of natural history is and 

 must be, with every existing system by which animated 

 nature has hitherto been arranged, Mr. Newman, whose at- 

 tention appears to have been long since awakened to the 

 subject, has attempted to establish a theory based on the 

 circular system of Mr. MacLeay, but abandoning that acute 

 naturalist's quinary arrangement, and substituting in its stead 

 one of a septenary character. Carrying out this idea, Mr. 

 Newman finds that many of the anomalies and difficulties at 

 present experienced are effectually removed ; and he antici- 

 pates that further research and examination will justify his 

 decided opinion that a series of septenary circles will even- 

 tually be found the true natural system. 



One feature in the author's theory appears to us deserving 

 impartial and candid examination, that the central group of 

 each series of septenary circles is always that which has the 

 greatest variety of form and character, combining in itself 

 typical forms of all the other groups by which it is surrounded. 

 On this principle he considers Neuroptera to occupy the 

 central position in the Insecta; and that the Libellulae, from 

 "their imperial flight, their enormous size, their richly 

 variegated colours, their despotic and cruel habits," must be 

 placed in the " heart's core" of the circle, and rank as " em- 

 perors of the insect world." Mr. MacLeay also disallows any 

 such group of animated beings as Insecta : dividing the crea- 

 tures which we commonly call insects into two orders, Man- 

 dibulata and Haustellata; and these, with the Crustacea, 

 Ametabolia, and ^rachnoida, constitute a class which he terms 

 Annulosa. Mr. Newman, we think with great justice and 

 propriety, restores the expressive term and excellent group 

 " Insecta," and regards the binary division of the group into 

 Mandibulata and Haustellata as utterly futile ; and really, 

 when we reflect that, to sustain such an artificial division, it is 

 necessary to suppose facts which have no existence, we may 

 be allowed to hesitate, before bending the knee to any authority 

 however great. 



Mr. Kirby's order Trichoptera, the leading character of 

 which, as given by himself, is " Emandibulate," cuts but a 

 sorry figure amongst the mandibulate insects ; where it seems 

 placed more to eke out the number five, than for any more 

 laudable purpose. The genus Thrips, again, although de- 

 cidedly mandibulate, has been for some similar reason termed 

 haustellate, and placed with the A^phides, &c. It is to be 



