tI>rNT;.U> a<jy,lETY OF LONDON. IxXV 



may not have compact synoptical Faunas corresponding with our 

 Floras in all branches of the animal kingdom, the series of works on 

 British Vertebrata published by Van Voorst are a better and more 

 complete account of our indigenous races than any Continental state 

 can boast of; and I observe with much pleasure that, in the new 

 edition announced of the 'British Birds,' Mr. Newton proposes 

 specially to foUow out the determination of their geographical 

 range, upon which Mr. Yarrell had bestowed so much pains. With 

 regard to our Mollusca, we have been very fortunate. Forbes and 

 Hanky's costly work, published by the Ray Society, has been 

 followed by Gwyn Jeffreys's ' British Conchologj^' the great merits 

 of which as a Malacological Fauna of Britain have been fully acknow- 

 ledged abroad as well as at home. The present geographical as well 

 as the fossil range of the species is specially attended to ; and the 

 only thing missed is, perhaps, a general synoptical view of the cha- 

 racters of the classes, families, and genera into which the species 

 are distributed. The Bay Society series comprises also several 

 most valuable works on the lower orders of British animals; but 

 the entomological fauna of our country, especially in relation to the 

 insects of the adjoining continent, notwithstanding the numerous 

 able naturalists who devote themselves to its study, appears to be 

 somewhat in arrear. In answer to my query as to works where 

 our insects are compared with those of other countries, I received 

 from our Secretary, Mr. Stainton, the following reply : — " The 

 questions you have put to me with reference to our entomological 

 literature are very important; they, however, painfully call my 

 attention to the necessarily unsatisfactory nature of my replies. 

 WoUaston's ' Coleoptera Hesperidum ' * is the only separate work to 

 which I can direct your attention as giving the fauna of a par- 

 ticular district with the geographical range of such of the species 

 as are likewise found elsewhere. R. M'Lachlan, who in 1865 had 

 published (Trans. Ent. Soc. ser. 3, v.) a Monograph of the British 

 Caddis-ilies, gave in 1868 (Trans. Ent. Soc. for 1868) a Monograph 

 of the British Neuroptera Planipenna ; but little is there said of the 

 European range of our species. In 1867 (Entom. Monthly Mag. 

 iii.) Mr. M'Lachlan, who is one of our most philosophical writers, 

 gave a Monograph of the British Psocidae ; and he there says, with 

 reference even to their distribution in our own country, * As a rule, 

 I have not mentioned special localities ; these insects have been so 

 little collected that an enumeration here of known or recorded 

 localities would probably appear ridiculous in a few years.' The 

 * Referred to in mx Addi-ess of 1869. 



