THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 49 



BOOK NOTICE. 

 Species des Hym^nopteres d'Europe et d'Algerie : Les Mulillides — Par 



Ernest Andre. A. Hermann, 6 et 12, Rue de la Sorbonne, Paris, 



France. 

 This work, representing the 8th volume of Andre's great work on the 

 European Hymenoptera, begun in 1888 by Edmond Andre, is now 

 completed by the publication of fascicle 81. 



The volume before us is devoted to a consideration of the family 

 Mtdillidce, a large family of parasitic wasps living principally in the nests 

 of bees and predaceous wasps, and is written by Ernest Andre, a brother of 

 Edmond, contains nearly 500 pages, 25 plates, and gives full descriptions 

 of all the Mutillidce. occurring in Europe and Algiers ; the first fascicle 

 appeared in 1899. 



After a brief preface and the definition of the family, Mr. Andre gives 

 a good historical sketch of the family, which is based upon the genus 

 Mutilla, Linne, established in 1758. From this sketch one may gain an 

 excellent idea of the vagueness and confusion that existed among earlier 

 authorities respecting genera, the great difference of opinion held by the 

 more distinguished, and the slowness with which the modern and the more 

 correct conception of a genus became established. 



Mr. Andre devotes many pages to thoroughly defining the structural 

 characters of these wasps, their life evolution and biology, and their 

 geographical distribution. He finds that they are distributed over the 

 entire world, and estimates that 1,600 species are known ; of this number 

 about half are found in America, the others being distributed in Europe, 

 Africa, Asia and Australia. 



After a good bibliography, in which 209 works and papers, treating 

 on these wasps, are listed, he enters into a systematic account of the 

 family, genera and species. He divides the family into /(?//;- tribes: I., 

 Fedtsche7ikii7icB\ H., Aj>terogy?un(p ; III., Methocince; and IV., Mutillince. 

 No one, probably, will object to Mr. Andre's groups ; they are natural 

 and well characterized. But most decidedly some will differ with him 

 as to their rank and the position assigned them ; I do. 



In my opinion three of these tribes do not belong to the family 

 Mutillidce (sens, str.) ; they differ too widely in many important charac- 

 ters to be included in the same family, although probably all are natural 

 minor groups in other families. Fedtschenkia is winged in both sexes, and 

 I have placed it in the family Cosilidce; the male has not the characteristic 

 genitalia of a Mutillid. The Apterogynincv should be placed in the family 



