174 JOUKNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY AND ZOOLOGY 



A REVIEW OF AN OLD BOOK 



On the Variation of Species, With Especial Reference to 

 THE Insecta; Followed by An Enquiry Into the Nature of 

 Genera, by T. Vernon Wollaston, M.A., F.L.S., London: John 

 Van Voorst, Paternoster Row, 1856. Pp. VI+206. 



I believe that it is about as profitable, nowadays, to read a book 

 which is a half a century or more old than many of those which 

 are comins;: off the press. I can nearly say with someone else: 

 "When I hear of a new book I go to my shelves and take down 

 an old one." This applies more especially to those on the phil- 

 osophy of nature. The author of this book is well known for his 

 work on the insects of the Madeira Islands, and his philosophy 

 grew from this study of geographical distrilmtion. The numer- 

 ous examples are taken mostly from the Coleoptera, a few from 

 the Mollusca. The index is an ideal one — modern ones could well 

 lie patterned after it — and gives some idea of the wealth of fact, 

 observation and deduction to be found in the book, — a book just 

 bristling with pertinent suggestions even for study for the 

 modern naturalist. This book was published three years before 

 the "Origin of Species." He lays special em]ihasis on minute 

 variations of size, sculpture, color, etc., when constant and corre- 

 lated with differences of habitat. His discussion and proof of the 

 influence of isolation and environment on the change of s]iecific 

 form is as clear as stated by more recent authors. All is sup- 

 ported by his careful observations on the Coleoptera of the 

 Madeiras, and material from other naturalists in other parts of 

 the world, notably Darwin in South America, to whom he dedi- 

 cates the liook. His remarks in regard to color dimorphism of 

 certain beetles, living and fossil, is very suggestive. "It is almost 

 needless to add, that there are many elements to be considered, 

 such as local atmospheric conditions, excess or deficiency of 

 electricity, su]>erabundant moisture, diminished light, and the 

 geological com]iosition of the soil, before we can hope either to 

 appreciate zoological phenomena as a whole, or to reconcile the 

 apparent inconsistencies which they are accustomed to display." 

 —p. 47. 



