266 THE CANA.DIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



BOOK NOTICE. 

 A Catalogue of the Coccid.^ of the World. — By Mrs. Maria E. 

 Fernald, A.M., Amherst, Mass. Special Bulletin (No. 88) of the 

 Hatch Experiment Station of the Massachusetts Agricultural College, 

 1903. One Vol., 8vo., pp. 360. 



The authoress gives us in this volume a most valuable and complete 

 catalogue of the Coccidas of the World, the results of nearly twenty-five 

 years of patient and careful labour. No one who has not attempted work 

 of this kind can form any idea of the difficulties of the task, the immense 

 number of publications to be gone over, the care and accuracy that are 

 required and the systematic methods that must be adopted, and conse- 

 quently few estimate as highly as they should the gratitude that is due 

 to one who spends years of toil in making the way easy for all future 

 students in the particular department of natural science that is 

 taken up. The classification of the Coccidae has long been in a 

 somewhat chaotic condition ; the present work will help very 

 materially in reducing the confusion and bringing out order and 

 system instead. Mrs. Fernald does not expect entire agree- 

 ment with her conclusions, but we venture to think that few will 

 endeavour to criticise her work, inasmuch as it has been done with such 

 care and freedom from prejudice. In every case where changes in no- 

 menclature are made the history 'of the genus or species is given by means 

 of the full bibliographical references, and the evidence seems complete. 

 No less than 15 14 species are listed, and of each one bibliographical 

 references are given, with the geographical distribution and food-plants 

 when known. The volume is well and clearly printed, and its value is 

 much enhanced by the very full index to species as well as genera with 

 which it closes. 



A Coleopterous Conundrum. — There has been so great a desire to 

 obtain specimens of the remarkable beetle described by ^Nlrs. Slosson in the 

 May number of this magazine, that she is compelled to say that she has 

 only a few examples left and is unable to give away any more. 



Dr. Dyar, in his zeal for the laws of priority, contends that the 

 name jocularly given to the insect by Mrs. Slosson {Igtiottis miigmaticus) 

 should be taken as founding a new genus and a ne^v species. This 

 seems absurd, when there was no attempt made to give a scientific 

 description of the creature, and the authoress says expressly that she 

 merely applied the name " sometime^, in chat over her discovery !" 



Mailed September 4th, 1903. 



