60 REVIEWS. 



Cordylura 46 to 21, Dolichopus 71 to 65, Mycetophila 48 to 20, and 

 many more which might be mentioned. We had extracted from the 

 INSECTA LAPPONICA a list of species given there as proper to Lapland or 

 the northern provinces of Sweden, which have been found in these islands. 

 Later investigation, however, has proved most of these to be diffused 

 farther south, several of them extending into Germany also ; and probably 

 the few remaining exceptions may also be withdrawn by future research. 

 It is possible that North Britain, when explored more diligently, may yield 

 other species hitherto attributed as peculiar to the northern provinces of 

 Scandinavia ; but it is not likely that the number should be considerable, 

 since our mountains scarcely attain to the limits of an Alpine fauna, and 

 the disconnected lower ranges are everywhere comparatively poor in num- 

 ber of species, and in peculiar forms. But experiment will best solve the 

 question, which at present we approach with such imperfect evidence. 



Zetterstedt is not one of the writers who are content to make a parade 

 of erudition, by transcribing synonyms one after another, without the pains 

 of critical discrimination. The authorities he cites have evidently been 

 collated with scrupulous care, while he has not thought it necessary, in 

 general, to go back to the older authorities, with the exception of Linnasus, 

 Fabricius, and Degeer. But he has not had access to all the recent sources, 

 especially those of the English literature, so that some portions of his 

 matter will turn out to have been anticipated. The admirable BRITISH 

 ENTOMOLOGY, of Curtis, is not once referred to, and thus, among other 

 things, the genus Dolichopeza is attributed, without remark, to Meigen, 

 who had omitted to cite from Curtis, the original author. Hence, also, 

 the representatives of other modern genera, in the Swedish fauna, lie dis- 

 guised under alias names Diadocidia ferruginosa as Sciara testacea 

 Catocha under Lestremia Corynoneura among the Chironomi of Zetter- 

 stedt. Having inserted, for completeness' sake, the descriptions from other 

 pens of some species, the originals of which he had not an opportunity of 

 collating, he has, consequently, been led, in one or two instances, to give 

 the same insect twice over ; thus,, the genus Cordyla appears among the 

 Rhyphii, and, again, as Pacliypalpus (Macquart), among the Myceto- 

 philince, and Ditomyia annulata is twice described as Ceroplatus flavus, 

 and as Mycetobia annulata. He has not constantly regarded the strict 

 law of priority to which we have been accustomed to defer, in the appli- 

 cation of generic and trivial names. Fallen and Fabricius seem to weigh 

 more with him sometimes than age or usage, and rules are made to yield 

 to predilection. We will let the dates stand, instead of statements in 

 detail, for judgment of the principal instances of this sort, which affect the 



