78 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



atmosphere is characterized in spring and early summer by an excessive 

 humidity, surpassing that of the British Islands, while at other periods of 

 the year there is a well marked " dry season." The result of these various 

 facts, taken in connection with the additional fact that at a remote geo- 

 logical period the islands doubtless were connected with the Asiatic and 

 North American mainland, has been the development of a fauna marked 

 by a wonderfully composite character, and revealing to an unusual extent 

 the phenomena of varietal change, and in the case of the insect tribes, 

 seasonal dimorphism. To these phenomena Mr. Pryer has paid especial 

 attention, with the result of ascertaining that not a few of the so-called 

 species erected by recent entomologists, into whose hands Japanese col- 

 lections have happened to fall, must be relegated to the great and ever- 

 growing mass of synonymical species. This is especially true of the gen- 

 era Pap Mo, Pier is and Terias, in which seasonal dimorphism reveals 

 itself most strikingly. The course pursued by Mr. Pryer in massing a 

 large number of forms of the species originally described by Linnaeus 

 as Terias Hccabc under the name Terias Multiformis Pryer, is open to 

 criticism on the ground that the labour of the elder nomenclator should 

 have been respected and his name retained, while the names of later 

 writers should have been adduced as synonyms. Nevertheless the fact 

 seems to be established beyond reasonable doubt that the species lumped 

 by Mr. Pryer under the newly coined name Multiformis, are all mere 

 local or seasonal variations of Hecabe L. It was the privilege of the writer 

 to spend many days in Mr. Pryer's laboratory, and he can testify to the 

 painstaking care which he has taken to avoid error in his deductions. 

 The most surprising result of breeding is, however, one which is not alluded 

 to in Part I. of the Rhopalocera Nihonica, since it was only definitely 

 confirmed during the past summer, viz., the discovery that Terias 

 Bethesba of Janson is a dimorphic form of Terias Laeta of Boisduval. 

 The entire difference in form of the two har; naturally led students unhesi- 

 tatingly to accept them as widely different species. Careful breeding has 

 established their practical identity. 



As the first attempt at a comprehensive and accurate survey of a part 

 of the beautiful insect fauna of "Dai-Nippon," the new work will no 

 doubt be hailed with pleasure by all entomologists who raise their eyes 

 beyond the narrow confines of their own immediate neighborhoods, and 

 seek to ascertain. the truth as to the whole of Nature. 



W. J. Holland, Pittsburgh, Pa. 



