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The Natural History of the Tineina. Vol. i. containing Nepticula, Parti. 

 Cemiostoma, Part i. By H. T. Stainton ; assisted by Professor Zeller, and 

 J. W. Douglas. London: Van Voorst. 1855. 8vo. pp. 338. Eight 

 Coloured Plates. Price 12s. 



The astonishing progress Avhich has of late years been made in Entomology, 

 has in no group of insects been so obvious as in that of the Micro-Lepidoptera ; 

 it is but a few years back that these little insects were, if collected at all, 

 placed in the cabinet almost indiscriminatelj^ a few well marked and obvious 

 species excepted. It is with sincere gratification that we hail the advent of the 

 present volume, — though it is only the first of a long series, — as promising 

 us much minute yet distinct information uj)on these little atoms. No one is 

 better qualified for the task of bringing them to light than Mr. Stainton, and 

 with the able assistance of Professor Zeller, and Mr. Douglas, there can be 

 no doubt of the great intrinsic value of this and the futvu'e volumes coming 

 out under the same auspices. One singular, but very valuable feature of the 

 work, is, that the text is given in English, French, German, and Latin, 

 thereby giving it the chance of a world-wide dispersion, >vithout the usual 

 delay attending translations, which, too, are not always correct in giving the 

 author's meaning. The insects described in the present volume are the 

 first part of the Genus Nepticula, and the first part of Cemiostoma. The 

 details are most minute, and embrace all that is as yet known of the habits 

 and transformations of these beautiful little insects. The description of each 

 species is illustrated by a series of beautifully coloured figures of the cater- 

 pillar, the chiysalis, and the perfect insect, both magnified and of the natural 

 size ; and each is accompanied by a characteristic figure of a leaf of the plant 

 on which it is found, as mined by the caterpillar; for, be it known, that these 

 little creatures procure their food by excavating minute galleries between the 

 upper and under surface of the leaf; and it is by observing and collecting 

 such leaves, that most of the modern discoveries in this family have been 

 made. To give some idea of the valuable character of the information 

 contained in this volume, we open it at random, and at page 106, we find 

 Nepticula fioslactella described. The first paragraph relates to the Larva, how 

 noticeable; second relates to the Imago, how noticeable ; third, mode of life; 

 fourth, description of the Imago, this is very full ; fifth, description of Larva ; 

 sixth, geographical distribution; seventh, synonymy; eighth, remarks on the 

 synonyms ; ninth, observations of authors. We regret that our very limited 

 space will only allow a short extract : we take No. 3. Mode of Life. " The 

 egg is deposited on the under side of the nut, or hornbean leaf, close to the 

 rib ; the Larva proceeds to mine in an irregular wavy gallery ; the first third 

 of the mine, the excrement forms a line occupying nearly the whole width ; 

 then for a considerable distance it forms an irregular series of blackish 



