336 THE CA.NA.DI\N ENTOMOLOGIST. 



BOOK NOTICE. 



American Insects — By Vernon L. Kellogg, Professor of Entomologj' 



in Leland Stanford Jr. University. New York : Henry Holt & 



Co., 29 West 23rd Street. 604 pages. 



Ten years have gone by since the publication of Prof Comstock's 

 " Manual for the Study of Insects," which daring that time has become 

 the recognized text-book for students of North American Entomology. 

 There hardly seemed to be any need for another work of a similar kind, 

 and we took up this new book by Prof Kellogg with the feeling that there 

 was no " long-felt want " demanding to be filled. However, on exami- 

 nation, " American Insects " proves to be an excellent work, and we can 

 heartily recommend it to all who are interested in the classification and 

 natural history of insects. It is written in an agreeable and attractive 

 style and can be referred co anywhere by the ordinary reader without fear 

 of being disheartened by purely technical language. There are, of course, 

 many pages on anatomical structure, development and metamorphosis, 

 which must necessarily be scientific and somewhat difficult for the un- 

 learned, but the greater part of the large volume is clear and simple and 

 most interesting to every Nature Student. 



The first three chapters present the scientific introduction to the study 

 of Entomology and will well repay a careful perusal ; the next twelve treat 

 of the seventeen orders of insects, proceeding from the Aptera to the 

 Hymenoptera. Keys are given to the families, and a large number of 

 species are figured and described. The concluding chapters are most 

 interesting, dealing with the inter relation of flowers and insects ; the 

 significance of the colours and patterns in which insects are arrayed, includ- 

 ing "mimicry" and protective resemblance, and up-to-date information on 

 disease bearing insects. An appendix furnishes concise directions for 

 collecting and rearing specimens. The book is profuse'y illustrated with 

 thirteen coloured plates and over 800 figures in the text — a large number 

 of these are excellent drawings made expressly for the work by Miss 

 Mary Wellman. 



The author states that the book is written " in the endeavour to foster 

 an interest in insect biology on the part of students of natural history, of 

 nature observers, and of general readers." He has certainly well fulfilled 

 his task, for no one can take up the book and open it anywhere without 

 becoming deeply interested in the subject treated of, whatever it may be, 

 provided, that is, that he has any love at all for living creatures, any 

 interest in the myriad forms and modes of life of these wonderful beings 

 that are everywhere about us. 



Mailed Aug-ust 31st, 1905. 



