142 The Ottawa Naturalist. [November 



and also showed what a larg-e variety of fresh-water shells could 



be collected in a small area by those who knew how to look for 



them, and Miss Matthews and Miss McQuesten, both members 



of the Council. 



W. T. M. 



BOOK NOTICE. 



The Orthoptera of Indiana. 



By W. S. Blatchley, State Geologist, Indianapolis, Ind., 

 from the 27th Annual Report of the Department of Geology and 

 Natural Resources of Indiana, 1902. 8vo., pp. 348. 



We are glad indeed to welcome this last work of Prof. 

 Blatchley's which has just appeared. It is practically a popular 

 manual of the Orthoptera of Indiana and the adjoining States, 

 written in the plainest language, and with full explanations of all 

 necessary technical terms. The author has been very happy in 

 presenting his favorite subject, which he has studied tor many 

 years, in a succinct, intelligible manner, a fact which will 

 doubtless render his book a useful manual for many students of 

 this interesting order of insects in other parts of North America. 

 The author has prepared his work for beginners and for others 

 who have no particular knowledge of insects, and, as is not 

 always the case, he begins at the beginning of his subject. In 

 the first chapter, on the external anatomy of a locust, he 

 points out the difference between insects and other animal«, and 

 then describes fully the different parts of a locust and their functions. 

 A useful division of this chapter treats of the enemies of locusts, 

 some kinds of which frequently do work of inestimable value in 

 controlling outbreaks of certain species which occasionally 

 become destructively abundant. A plea is made for the pro- 

 tection of some of the birds which do good service in this way, 

 but are seldom recognized as friends, such as hawks, blackbirds, 

 crows, bluejays, bluebirds and prairie chickens. 



A bibliography gives the titles of the chief works or papers 

 in which important information regarding the habits and life 

 histories of locusts can be found. Those wishing for fuller 

 information, are referred to Dr. Scudder's Index to North 



