390 REVIEWS OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. 



be a series of mutilations and dislocations'." Mr. Westwood therefore adopts the 

 tarsal system ; in which, however, he proposes several alterations. The following 

 are his primary sections of the order Coleoptera : — 



" 1. Pentemera, in which all the tarsi are 5-jointed, the 4th being of ordinary size. 



2. Heteromera, in which the four anterior tarsi are 5-jointed, and the two posterior 4-jointed. 



3. Pseudotetramera, in which the tarsi are 5-jointed, but the 4th joint is exceedingly diminu- 



tive, and concealed between the lobes of the preceding. 



4. Pseudoirimera, in which the tarsi are 4-jointed, the 3rd joint being very diminutive, and 



concealed between the lobes of the preceding." — p. 44. 



A few pages of a " Generic Synopsis" are given, which is to be continued 

 (separately paged) at the end of each monthly part, until complete. We do not 

 doubt its being found useful, but are sorry to observe the defective system of 

 nomenclature (in the families, &c.) which Mr. Westwood has adopted. The 

 terminations used to distinguish the rank of the groups are idee, ides, and idea, 

 which are manifestly too little varied to be of much service for the purpose 

 intended. 



The plate at the commencement is beautifully and accurately executed ; and 

 the work generally well got-up. We must, however, notice an evident negligence 

 in the correction of the press ; owing to which several errata (and some important 

 ones) disfigure the pages. Thus at p. 3 we are informed that " by Latreille 

 the Spring-tailed insects and Mites have been constantly regarded as belonging to 

 the class of insects"; which is not true, as the Acari (Mites) are arranged by 

 that author in his Arachnida. We presume that Lice are here meant ; respect- 

 ing which the above remark would be correct. Thus also at pp. 33 — 35 -two 

 sentences as they at present stand are intirely destitute of meaning. We are 

 informed that " in the earlier editions of the Systema Naturce it Qhe structure 

 of the elytra] was even employed as its sole characteristic \j. e. of the Order] ; so 

 that the Grasshoppers, Cockroaches, and Earwigs were included in it ; and crown 

 of the head, which he considered to be ocelli, but Latreille, in the last edition of 

 this work, &c. &c." And again : — " The simple ocelli are here wanting, except 

 in Paussus bucephalus, and some of the small Stapkylinidce, in which Delman 

 observed two tubercles on the considered them as mere tubercles." It is evident 

 that the part we have italicised in the first sentence ought to have been inserted 

 between " on the" and " considered" in the last. We trust that such blemishes 

 will be avoided in future. 



We have given Mr. Westwood's Introduction the above lengthy notice, as it 

 afforded an opportunity for bringing under the view of our younger readers some 

 of the first general details of entomological classification ; and also as we think 

 that the work well deserves being prominently reviewed. — P, R. 



