24 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



The references to literature, ancient and modern, seem to leave 

 nothing more to be desired in this respect ; in fact, the amount of labour 

 performed and research that has been made seems almost appalling, and 

 we wonder whether the author has the strength and endurance to carry 

 such an undertaking through to completion. 



This work may well be taken as a model by one who is less 

 experienced, provided he does not follow it too closely and thus destroy 

 his own originality of thought and plan. 



Under each superfamily is given a very complete history of the 

 classifications of the different authors. These are carefully discussed, and 

 when the author differs from others, he does not hesitate to express his 

 convictions. 



Many of our old familiar names have disappeared, and are to be 

 found only among the tail-feathers of synonymy. This is, however, 

 strictly in accordance with the law of priority, and if any of us feel 

 unreconciled to this, we may well ask ourselves whether we are to keep 

 up with the trend of modern scientific thought or fall by the way. 



Under each species is given the synonymy and references to 

 literature, so full and complete that we can hardly imagine anything of 

 importance to have been overlooked. Then follows the original 

 description in the language in which it was published, and this is 

 followed by the author's description of the imago. There is then given a 

 full account of sexual dimorphism and gynandromorphism, more than five 

 pages being devoted to gynandroniorphous examples oi Amorpha popiili., 

 L. Variation is also taken up very fully with all the forms described and 

 named, and this requires seven pages for A. populi alone. A complete 

 account is given of the time, place and manner in which the eggs are laid, 

 followed by a full description of the egg, the larva in each "stadium," 

 and variations of the larva, pupation and cocoon, pupa, fuod-plants, 

 parasites, habitats, time and place of appearance and distribution. 



While this work must prove indispensable to the entomologist who 

 desires full information on the Lepidoptera of the British Isles, it will be 

 exceedingly valuable to students of the Lepidoptera in the United States 

 and elsewhere, because of the exhaustive study of the literature of 

 the genera and higher groups, and the careful and conscientious manner 

 in which the autiior applies the laws of nomenclatDre. — C. H. Fernald. 



Mailed January 5th, 1903. 



