1S7G.] 115 



S' 



I 



CUICIU. 



A Monograph of the G-eometrid Moths or PHALiENiDiE of the United 

 States. By A. S. Packard, Jun., M.D., Washington : 1876. Uo, pp. 598, and 13 

 plates. (Forms Vol. x of Hayden's Et-porfc of tho Geological Survey of the 

 Territories). 



Probably, this bulky volume is one of the most important that has ever 

 been ])ublished on any family of Lepidoptera, and we regret that any remarks 

 of ours can only do scant justice to the author, for a complete analysis would 

 occupy many pages. It commences by an enumeration of the various sources whence 

 tho materials have been derived ; then follows an exceedingly useful and critical 

 examination of the different classifications of the group, from the 10th edition of the 

 " Systema Naturre " to the present time. To this succeeds an cxainination of the 

 differential characters, and a very copious and careful exposition of the external 

 anatomy, comparative and otherwise. This we regard as the most valuable portion 

 of the whole work. Dr. Packard is evidently not one of those Lepidopterists who 

 are afraid to " destroy" their insects by denuding the wings and bodies : in other 

 words, he acts the role of comparative zoologist and not of collector. Plates i to vii 

 are entirely occupied by admirably executed figures of anatomical detail. A few 

 words on mimicry and terminologj complete this introductory portion of the book. 

 The purely systematic portion occupies the greater part of the remainder ; finishing 

 by interesting details on comparative geographical distribution. The plates of the 

 insects, drawn by Mr. Trouvelot, are beautiful specimens of lithographic engraving, 

 and when we state that some of the plates have nearly 100 figures on each, some 

 idea will be gained of the enormous number of species represented. And neither 

 care nor expense has been spared. Wherever it was desirable, extraneous aid has 

 been sought, as, for instance, in the case of some of Walker's types in the British 

 Museum, of which the author has had figures drawn by an artist in England, and 

 sent out. Although the title somewhat erroneously states that the work represents 

 the Geometrida of the United States, it in reality includes the whole of America 

 north of Mexico and the West Indies, and between 300 and 400 species are described 

 and figured, though the estimated number of those existing is about 1000 (800 an- 

 included by Staudinger in the European Fauna). In glancing over the plates, one 

 cannot help being struck by the great resemblance of many of the figures to those o'' 

 European forms, and in fact, a large proportion of the genera ai-e European. A not 

 inconsiderable number of species (including some very familiar to English entomo- 

 logists) arc common to Europe and America, but more especially confined to those 

 of northern distribution. Eighteen species are given as occurring both in temperate 

 America and Europe. Another feature is the occurrence in the Pacific slope of forms 

 similar to those of western Europe, but not eastern America, nor eastern Asia, 

 a fact already sufficiently proved in other groups and orders of insects. Our author 

 is a rigid adherent to the rule of priority, and from this cause the generic nomen- 

 clature is not in many cases the same as that now used in Europe, principally arising 

 from the contested right of certain Iliibnerian names. On one point we are at issue 

 with Dr. Packard, and with many American entomologists. We allude to tho 

 practice of putting his own name after that of a species, when placed by him in a 

 genus other than that adopted by j)revious writers. We fail to see the necessity oi 



