74 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



exceedingly useful "Synopsis of the British Siphonaptera," 

 This group of insects, popularly known as fleas, has been 

 extensively studied during the past few years, and the 

 present author, by his painstaking and exhaustive researches, 

 has rapidly made himself our chief authority on these 

 familiar (in the general sense) parasites. His " Synopsis," 

 which we are pleased to note can be purchased separately at 

 the very moderate charge of is. 6d., will long serve as an 

 invaluable introduction to the study of fleas in general, 

 and British ones in particular. Ample instructions are 

 given as to the methods of collecting and preserving 

 specimens ; a key to all the British genera is provided, and 

 every native or introduced genus and species is briefly yet 

 adequately described. A catalogue of the British forms 

 with full bibliography, concludes the paper, which is illus- 

 trated by eight plates, with an aggregate of no fewer than 

 96 figures. While congratulating Mr Rothschild on the 

 appearance of this very valuable article, we may point out 

 that the Annals of Scottish Natural Hist07y,q}xo\.e.d by him 

 in every case as Ann. Scot. N. H. Soc, had no connection 

 whatever with any society, and should be referred to as 

 Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist. 



The effects of the great war are felt by everyone. Even 

 the systematic zoologist has now fallen under its influence, 

 for in a recent paper on Bats by Oldfield Thomas,^ wherein 

 half a dozen new species are described, three of them have 

 respectively received the following names : Nyctalns Joffrei, 

 Pipistrellus kitchener i, and Pipistrcllns sturdeei ! We believe 

 that many youthful members of the human race are growing 

 up with appellations derived from the field of battle, and we 

 have known canine friends answer to the name of " Bobs," 

 but we are tolerably certain that never before have bats been 

 selected to commemorate our naval and military heroes ! But 

 since aviation is playing an important part in present-day 

 field operations, while bats are the only mammals which 

 truly fly, this most recent example of nomenclature may 

 be regarded as more or less appropriate. 



It is not our custom to refer to works dealing with other 



' Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., February 1915, pp. 225-232, 



