REVIEWS. 187 



No wonder, then, that we have yet a great deal to learn. In short, 

 difficulties, anomalies, and perplexities, meet us at present at almost every 

 step. A curious and instructive instance is afforded by Mr. Stainton's 

 treatment of the Fam. Nepticulidas, which may be worth stating as a spe- 

 cimen of the toils through which microlepidopterists have yet to tread or 

 force their way. " This family," says Mr. Stainton, " contains, at present, 

 only two genera, the distinctive characters of which lie in the neuration of 

 the wings" These two genera are " Nepticula," and " Trifurcula," Of 

 the latter of these, Mr. Stainton says, " The investigation of the generic cha- 

 racter of these insects is rendered extremely difficult from their small size and 

 hairy heads — smooth-headed species of equal size would be far more easily 

 examined ; it is also difficult to examine the neuration of the wings, and I 

 am, therefore, doubtful whether the distinctness of this genus, from the pre- 

 ceding, has been sufficiently established. On the other hand, it may be 

 that it would be more correct to divide the Nepticulidas into a greater 

 number of genera." That is, it is doubtful whether there have been al- 

 ready discovered only one, two, or several genera in this family. But this 

 is not all. He tells us in a note, that there was a " singular insect taken 

 by Mr. Boyd, among alders, in the New Forest, last summer ;" which 

 though he says, he " cannot consider it Lepidopterous," he allows to be 

 " completely Nepticuliform." It must form a distinct genus if admitted as 

 Lepidopterous ; but the general facies of it induces him to think it Trichop- 

 terous. In fine, he leaves it doubtful whether this family does not 

 include an insect, which cannot be clearly proved to belong even to the 

 order Lepidoptera. 



The above remarks may serve to show what difficulties and uncer- 

 tainties surround our, at present, most limited knowledge of this delightful 

 group of insects ; from which it is clear, that the present work does not 

 profess more accuracy or completeness than can be reasonably expected in 

 a comparatively early stage of the science, when even the foundations are 

 scarcely fixed beyond the chance of disturbance. This should be clearly 

 understood and constantly remembered, and then no critic, however 

 cynical, can find just cause for complaint ; no naturalist can venture to 

 depreciate these labours, however rapidly discoveries may henceforth follow 

 each other ; and that they will be both numerous, important, and rapid, 

 no man, we can venture to say, is more fully persuaded than Mr. 

 Stainton himself. 



But if a great deal remains to be learned about these little Lepidoptera, 

 there is a great deal known already, and to this, so far as it is touched on 

 in the book before us, we will now proceed ; premising, however, that we 



