IS"] 259 



the inevitable olla podrida. The autlior apparently discards the term Pseudo- 

 Iseuroptera, and suggests Westwood's " Bioniorphotic insects," which is nearly 

 equivalent to G-crstacker's " Amphiblofica." Here again vee take exception ; this 

 time to the words " pupa incomplete," as applied to the whole Order as here con- 

 stituted. The so-called "pupa "-stage of the Biomorphotica is precisely in the 

 condition of that of the Orthoptera, whereas in the " Siib-necromorphotica" the 

 fact that the pupa is active for a few minutes before its final change is scarcely 

 of importance. In Chrysopa and 3Iyrmeleon, the cast-off puparium lies by 

 the side of the cocoon. The arrangement of the Lepidoptera has nothing pe- 

 culiar in it ; but wc are not clear as to the position assigned to the anomalous 

 CastniidcB. In the Hymevoptera the only remark that occcurs to us is the retention 

 of the CynipidcB under the group ^^ Pupivora" esjx-cially in conjunction with tho 

 habits of the group, as given in the line immediately above. To the Coleoptera is 

 given (we think) rather undue prominence in details, but this is natural, the author 

 being specially a Coleopterist. The StylopidcB are included in this Order ; but we do 

 not see in it, nor elsewhere, any mention of the heaver-parasite, which Le Conte 

 declares to be Coleopterous, which Kitsema placed with the fleas, and for which. 

 Westwood erected the Order Achreioptera. 



In the foregoing rapid analysis, some points have been touched upon just as they 

 occurred to us, and we have borne in mind the fact that this book is necessarily 

 synoptical. Nature abhors hard and fast lines, and, as the author says in his 

 preface (p. iv), " exceptions occur to almost every character." Those who desire 

 a handy book of reference will find the work answer their purpose ; the details 

 must be filled in afterwards. 



The Transactions of the Entomological Society of London for the 

 Year 1876 (8vo, pp. 655 and Ixxxvii, with 12 plates ; at the Society's Rooms, 11, 

 Chandos Street, Cavendish Square, and Longman & Co.). 



To those who have not already made acquaintance therewith, wc connncnd this 

 comely volume. It contains twenty Memoirs, contributed by ten Authors, relating 

 to five Orders of Insects ; and of the twenty, seven relate to Coleoptera, four to 

 Diptera, four to Ilymenoptera, three to Lepidoptera, and two to Hemiptera. 



The most important Memoir, itself extending to nearly 400 pages, is that of 

 Dr. Sharp, on the Staphylinidce of the Amazon Valley, mainly founded on the 

 materials amassed by Mr. Bates, but supplemented by species collected by Dr. Trail 

 and others. The number of species enumerated is 487, and of these no less than 

 463 are described as new ; of 77 species brought home by Dr. Trail, 55 had not been 

 found by Mr. Bates. These figures sufficiently attest our ignorance of these minute 

 denizens of Tropical America : and when it is added that the author estimates the 

 total number of Amazonian StaphylinidcB at from 4000 to 5000 species, it must be 

 admitted that this preliminary contribution to a knowledge of the group has not 

 appeared a whit too soon. The descriptions are elaborated with all Dr. Sharp's 

 accu.stomed care, and are interspersed with observations on distribution and structure, 

 and with critical remarks. If too special for the general reader, the paper must 

 necessarily be indispensable to every future student of the Amazonian Brachelytra. 



A word must be said about the nomenclature. Take, for instance, the genus 

 Belomichus {\)'^.Zh,\\h, Beleonychus !),y;\nc\\, by the way, the author does not 



