226 NATURAL SCIENCE. April. 



himself. We cannot congratulate either entomology or the author 

 upon the result. We have before now found it necessary to protest 

 against the reckless coining of specific names, but never was there a case 

 more flagrant than this. It is not even as though we were dealing 

 with a portion of the results of a brief collecting expedition sent out 

 from Europe. Mr. Marshall is a resident in New Zealand, and has 

 therefore every facility for amassing an adequate amount of material 

 before commencing author. But, two years exhaust his patience, and 

 he proceeds to make a new species for almost every single specimen 

 obtained. We note that he intends to publish from time to time 

 papers on the other families of Diptera, and these he hopes " to 

 supplement every year by species that have been discovered during 

 the preceding year ; so that, ultimately, these papers may perhaps 

 attain to the completeness of monographs on the different families of 

 Diptera." Monographs are not written thus. Specialists should pray 

 that Mr. Marshall may take warning ere it is too late. 



Insect Enemies of Domestic Animals. 



The Entomological Division of the U.S. Department of Agricul- 

 ture issues, as Bulletin No. 5 of its new series, a monograph of the 

 insects which injure domestic animals. This work, containing over 

 300 pages, 4 plates, and 170 figures, is by Prof. Herbert Osborn. It 

 is well up to the high level of excellence which the Washington 

 department has taught us to expect in its publications. All the 

 North American insects and mites which feed on the tissues or blood 

 of man and his domestic animals are described. As many of the 

 species are found also on this side of the Atlantic the work will be 

 valuable to naturalists and farmers in our own countries. Though 

 the monograph is primarily intended to instruct the practical man, 

 and to point out methods of prevention and cure, it is well worth the 

 attention of the biologist, who will find in it some excellent illustra- 

 tions of interesting life-histories. 



The Scientific Publications of the American Government. 



We have often had the pleasure of -alluding to similar valuable 

 publications issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. We 

 regret that this pleasure will not be ours in future, for a law has been 

 passed forbidding the general distribution of the serial and scientific 

 publications of the Department. Copies not required for official use 

 will be sold by the Superintendent of Documents, Union Building, 

 Washington, D.C. He is not allowed to sell more than one copy of 

 any document to the same person and he will not receive cheques or 

 postage stamps. This means that it will cost an Englishman one 

 shilling to obtain a 5-cent pamphlet. 



