ISO Analytical Notices of Books, 



The Orders adhered to in the letter devoted to the System of 

 Insects, are those proposed in the first volume of the work. 

 On this occasion the essential characters of each are given, and 

 these are accompanied- by observations on their connexion with 

 each other, and on the tribes of which each is individually com- 

 posed. Of the existence of a primary division of winged insects 

 into Mandibulata and Haustellata^ doubts are entertained ; and 

 it is stated that, on the principle of their formation, a third 

 section should be adopted to include many of the Hymenoptera^ 

 by which the food is taken by lapping. The analogies which 

 are considered to exist between the Orders, approach nearly to 

 those remarked by Savigny. They are drawn from the resem- 

 blances of the perfect insects, and thus differ essentially from 

 those deduced by Mr. W. MacLeay, from the metamorphosis. 

 The relative value of the groups, both primary and subordi- 

 nate, into which insects are divided, is explained, and they 

 are made to succeed each other in the following order : class; 

 subclass ; order ; suborder ; section ; subsection ; tribe ; sub- 

 tribe ; stirps ; family ; genus ; and subgenus. For nearly the 

 whole of these divisions uniform terminations are proposed ; a 

 plan which, could it have been originally carried into elBfect, 

 would have admirably expressed the comparative importance of 

 the group intended to be mentioned, but which would now ne- 

 cessitate too many changes in received nomenclatures to become 

 ever available. The position assigned to insects in the general 

 system is in immediate apposition with the Vertebrata. 



The History of Entomology is divided into seven Epochs ; the 

 Era of the Ancients ; the Era of the Revival of the science after 

 the darkness of the middle ages ; the Era of Swammerdam and 

 Ray, or of the Metamorphotic System ; the Era of Linne, or of 

 the Alary System ', the Era of Fabricius, or of the Maxillary 

 System ; the Era of Latreille, or of the Eclectic System ; and 

 the Era of MacLeay, or of the Quinary System. The sketch is 

 clearly and candidly drawn up. Each of the eras passes succes- 

 sively in review ; the system proposed in it is examined, and 

 the principal alterations suggested by real science, or by a 

 mere affectation of novelty, are explained. Hence a general view 



