2G I'llE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



The want of a " Beetle Book " still remains unfulfilled. Its prepara- 

 tion. would be an even more difficult task than that of the " Moth Book," 

 owing to the immense number of species to be dealt with, and the minute 

 size of a large proportion of them ; it might, however, be practicable to 

 take up a certain number of families at a time and spread the work over 

 two or more volumes. — C J. S. B. 



We have before us Dr. Holland's long expected " Moth Book," a com- 

 panion to his well-known '' Butterfly Book," published in the same style 

 and only a little larger. The coloured plates show most characteristically 

 the appearance of all the commoner North American moths, except in the 

 lower families, where only typical illustrations are given. The book will 

 be of great value to all collectors. Not only this, but there are several 

 features wherein it will commend itself to more advanced students. 

 .Several types are figured, noticeably some of Hulst in the Geometrid^, 

 and among these I see some species with the appearance of which I was 

 not hitherto familiar. A few new species are described by Dr. Holland, 

 and there is some change in the nomenclature, notably the adoption of the 

 names of the Sphingidae proposed by Rothschild and Jordan. There is 

 no attempt at description of genera or species, and the synoptic tables do- 

 not proceed beyond family definition ; but a good review of the literature 

 of the subject is given, arranged under a heading of families. We are 

 personally aware that Dr. Holland took much pains to avoid misidentifica- 

 tion of his figures, but are soiry to note that a considerable number have 

 nevertheless crept in. A casual glance over the plates shows, for example, 

 pi. xxix., fig. 66, what purports to be Cydosia majuscula, Hy. Edw., but 

 really represents Tricastibas caiiigera, Zell. PI. xlii., fig. 32, is labelled 

 Tephroclystis absinthiata, CI., but shows Macaria infimata, Guen.; pi. xlili., 

 figs. ID and 1 1, are marked Hydriomene custodiata, Guen., but really repre- 

 sent Hydriomejie excurvata, Grt. On page 378 in the text is figured 

 •' Ingiiromorpha basalts," which should be Cossula magnifica, while the 

 cut on page 379, which purports to be the latter species, is a representa- 

 tion of something unfamiliar to me, which is neither magnifica nor basalis. 

 The plate xlvii., representing Limacodise, contains several errors : fig. 15. 

 should be Euclea ijideterminata, not E. Moris; fig. 2 1 should be Tortri- 

 cidia flexuosa, not Cochlidioti y-inversa, and fig. 27 should be Cochlidion 

 latomia, not C. rectilinea, which has black hind wings. We fear that there 

 are other such misidentifications, and on this point the student will have 

 to be on his guard in using the book. Harrison G. Dyar. 



