192 REVIEWS. 



of the principal writers were carefully gone over, and the descriptions 

 identified with known species, or set aside as undistinguishable. The 

 synonymy of the species, described in this volume, is given more fully in 

 the catalogue of British Microlepidoptera, which I have been conducting 

 through the press, for the Trustees of the British Museum, simultaneously 

 with this volume ; but neither did that catalogue, any more than the pre- 

 sent volume, admit of the introduction of critical disquisitions on the 

 synonymy of the species. To have gone minutely and critically into the 

 synonymy, to have described the larva of each species and its entire 

 habits in detail, would have completely altered the design of this work ; but 

 I purpose, at no distant date, in conjunction with others, to edit a more 

 detailed and voluminous work, l The Natural History of the Tineina.' " 



We hail the concluding words of this extract as a promise of good 

 things for the future, believing that it will be a work of no ordinary inte- 

 rest ; and we heartily wish Mr. Stainton good health to prosecute, suc- 

 cessfully, his researches, and to render a new edition of the present work 

 necessary with all possible speed. One thing is pretty clear, that whoever 

 devotes himself to the study of the Tineina must be prepared to look after 

 them in strange places. Inside stalks of grass, in granaries, in wood, salt, 

 fungi, corks, &c, the larvae are to be found, as well as in the inside of 

 leaves of all kinds ; and the perfect insects are to be caught everywhere, 

 in the broad glare of a sunny noon and in the dingy regions of coal mines, 

 and in all intermediate localities, also in wine cellars. 



The ten plates must have, at least, a passing notice ; they deserve more, 

 but we must come to an end. " Eight illustrate the generic character," 

 several figures being allotted to every genus described in the body of the 

 work ; " one, the various forms of the larvae," cocoons, mines, &c. ; " and 

 one, the perfect insect of several of the most important genera (especially 

 representing those which have any peculiarity in their posture when in 

 repose)." These last, in particular, are highly characteristic, and provoked 

 one or two smiles, as we saw the comic humility of one species, with his 

 head in the dust, side by side with the pompous vanity of the one 

 perched on his tail ; and a little further on the abject appearance of a 

 little beauty, lying flat along, pressed down hard to the earth. The plates 

 which illustrate the generic character are very carefully executed, and will 

 prove indispensable to a correct understanding of the very complicated 

 and difficult generic distinctions, which are only too frequent in this group 

 of insects. 



• We will only add, that we rejoice to know that the scientific public ap- 

 preciate the valuable and highly-interesting work just given to the world 



