THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 139 



for the first time a means for teacher as well as student to determine the 

 family of any North American insect, for here synoptic tables replace the 

 vague characterizations so generally in vogue in Zoology. To bring the 

 tables down to species, as is done so satisfactorily in Botany, as the author 

 remarks, would make the work of enormous length, not to mention the 

 fact that the present state of our knowledge of insects does not warrant 

 such an undertaking. The work seems a very valuable and timely one. 



Harrison G. Dyar. 



[We wish to add to the foregoing notice our hearty congratulations to 

 Professor Comstock and his talented wife upon the completion of their 

 excellent work, and our tribute of praise for the thoroughly admirable 

 manner in which they have performed it. It is now a little more than six 

 years since we noticed in these pages the first part of this work, which 

 consisted of 234 pages and 200 wood-cuts; we then stated that "judging 

 from the portion before us, we have no hesitation in saying that the com- 

 plete work will be a most valuable and admirable manual of Entomology ; 

 in clearness and simplicity of style, in excellence of illustration, and in 

 arrangement of matter, it leaves nothing to be desired." This prediction 

 has been most completely fulfilled, the volume before us being, in several 

 respects, even an improvement upon the original publication. The new 

 illustrations are more artistic, and the diagrams of wing-venation and 

 details are clear and accurate ; the synoptic tables will afford any pains- 

 taking student with satisfactory means of classifying into families any 

 specimens, that he collects, while the letter-press and figures will enable 

 him to determine a large number of species. We heartily commend the 

 work to all who are beginning to study Entomology, and we can assure 

 others, who have made some progress in the science, that they will find in 

 it a vast deal of help and information that will prove of the utmost value. 

 We may add that the illustrations consist of 800 wood-cuts and six 

 beautiful full-page plates, the one forming the frontispiece being coloured. 

 The price of the work is so reasonable that it is within the reach of all. 



C. J. S. B.] 



