8o The Irish Naturalist. 



The Hemiptcra Hetcroptcra of the British Islands. By 



Edward Saunders, F.Iv.S. London : L. Reeve & Co., 1892. 14s. 

 (with coloured plates, 48s.). 



This is an excellent work on the British species of a comparatively 

 neglected group of insects, and should lead many entomologists to take 

 up its study. Mr. Saunders, who is a well-known authority on the 

 Hemiptera, gives us an introduction on the anatomy of the order, with 

 hints on collecting (we are glad to see that he insists on recording the 

 locality of captures), and clear synopses, with full descriptions of the 

 families, genera, and species found in the British Islands. The arrange- 

 ment of the families is that of Puton, and the nomenclature has been 

 brought well up to date. The cheap edition is without illustrations, 

 except one good structural plate ; but the descriptions are so excellent 

 that the careful student should not fail to correctly identify his captures. 



A list of known British localities is appended to each species. Records 

 from Ireland are not very numerous. Our esteemed contributor. Rev. 

 W. F. Johnson, is responsible for most of them. We notice that in the 

 last issue of the Ent. Monthly Mag. (Feb., 1892) he enumerates 89 species 

 of Heteroptera, and 13 of Homoptera, from the north of Ireland. We 

 hope that other entomologists in the country will take up the study of 

 these interesting insects, and so increase our knowledge of animal dis- 

 tribution in the British Isles. 



Report on Some Species of the Genera Buccinum, Bucci- 

 nopsisand Fusus Dredged off the South-west of Ireland. 



By Henry K. Jordan. Proc. Royal Irish Acad. (3) vol. ii., pp. 391-396. 



This communication has a certain amount of value to the systematist 

 but scarcely any from a faunistic point of view. Of the twenty-eight 

 records of species, the only locality whence they were obtained is that 

 contained in the title of the paper; "Jars A-F," and "Boxes 1-7," are 

 not edifying localities! Incidentally we learn that Box 4 was marked 

 "Station 3, 1885," and Box 7, "Exp. 1886, log. 44, 108 fnis.," but no 

 further reference is vouchsafed. This is slovenly work. The species 

 recorded a.rQ Buccimun undatiun, Linn.; B. huinphreysianum, Ben., and its 

 var. venCricosum, Kien. Mr. Jordan states that "the specimen under 

 notice clearly connects the two species" [B. hiimphreysiamun andv?. ventri- 

 cosiim, Kiener). Buccinopsis dalei, J. Sow.; Fusus antiquus, Linn., "interme- 

 diate in form between antiqjius and dcspectus of Linn." F. despectus, Linn. ; 

 F. islandicus, Chem.; F. gracilis, Da Costa; F. propinquus, Aid., "and at 

 least two new varieties," — var. intermedia, Jordan (connecting F. propin- 

 quus and F. jeffreysianus"), var. nana, Jordan, and possibly a third, var. 

 incrassata; F. Jeffrey sianus, Fisch.; F. herniciensis. King (first Irish speci- 

 mens); F. fcnestratns, Turt. "i>. ventricosutn of Kiener — a Lusitanian and 

 Mediterranean form — is new to the British fauna, and its connection 

 with B. hu77iphreysianu))i is established. Again, it is in company with F. 

 islandiciis — a boreal and Arctic species." It is not quite clear what Mr. 

 Jordan means by "in company," as the ormer was in "Jar C," and the 

 . atter in "Jar A," and we are kept in the dark where either came from. 



A. C. H. 



