THB CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 27 



V 



Delegate to the Royal Society — John I). Evans, Trenton. 



Committee on Field Days — L. Woolverton, M.D.; Messrs. Sherwood, 

 McClement, Balkwill, Stevenson, Saunders, Anderson, Elliott, Rennie, 

 and Bowman, London. 



Auditors — J. H. Bowman and J. M. Denton, London. 



The annual subscription ($i), now due, should be sent to the 

 Treasurer, J. A. Balkwill. Victoria Hall, London, to whose order money 

 orders or drafts should be made piyaMe. 



BOOK NOTICES. 



A Hand-Book of British Lepid 'Ptera, by Edward Meyrick, B. A., 

 F.Z.S., F.E.S., assistant master at Marlborough College. London: 

 MacMillan & Co., and New York, 1895. 



This book of 843 pages, illustrated by 104 cuts of venation, describes 

 all the British species of Lepidoptera, 2,061 in number, with descriptions 

 of the genera, families and superfamilies. Full synoptic tables are given, 

 leading down to the separation of species. For the recognition of species, 

 for which it is intended, the work seems admirably adapted. A brief 

 notice of the larva of each species is given, but not enough for identifica- 

 tion. What is said, however, is useful and also serves to indicate those 

 species whose life-history is still imperfectly known. The work on the 

 imagoes is stated to be the result of the author's independent observation, 

 but the larval descriptions are compiled. No species are figured. The 

 nomenclature, especially of the higher groups, is occasionally unsatisfac- 

 tory. There is no synonymy and no references to literature, so that some 

 of the family names are meaningless till after a careful examination of the 

 species included. Some of the changes seem arbitrary and contrary to 

 the rules of priority ; e. g., where the Thyatiridse are called " Polyplocidse," 

 and the Eiicleidse ( = Limacodidae), " Heterogeneidse," without any ex- 

 planation. The spelling of the family names does not conform to the 

 general present custom. A few new genera are described among the 

 Tineids. 



The most original and most interesting part of the book is the classi- 

 fication of the Lepidoptera into superfamilies. It differs from any hitherto 

 presented, but is strictly on the lines laid down by recent workers as 

 reviewed by Mr. Tutt (Trans. Ent. Soc, London, 1895, P- 343)- Nine 

 superfamilies are created, the lowest, the " Micropterygina," correspond- 



