1903 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 87 



Literature. 



Bibliographical notes on works dealing with insects appear regularly in all the standard 

 entomological journals and scientific magazines, such as The Canadian Entomologist, The Ottawa 

 Naturalist, Le Naturaliste Canadien, Entomo^ oqical News, The Americati Natitralist, Psyche, 

 Science, Journal q/ the New York Entomological Society, etc. These are all indispjnsab'e to the 

 AA'orking naturalist. 



In addition to these, somo notable books have appeared during the past year, which will be 

 great helps and time-savers to collectors and students. 



Dyar, H.G. List of North American Lepidoptera. United States National Museum, Bull. 

 No. 52. — Undoubtedly the most important book of the year is Dr. Dyar's Catalogue. This 

 large work of 740 pages, prepared with great care and beautifully printed on good paper, has 

 been distributed, free of charge, with the greatest liberality by the Smithsonian Institution to 

 all applicants It is, therefore, in the hands of all of our active workers, and will doubtless be 

 for a long time the guide for classifying and arranging collections. There will, of course, be 

 many p )int4 upon which some will differ from Dr. Dj'^ar, both as to arrangement and as 

 to specific reference of some well kno^rn names. Some of our more conservative workers will 

 jirefer to I'etain the names of Prof. J. B. Smith's list, particularly as a new edition has 

 recently appeared ; but for the most part, for various reasons I believe Dr. Dyar's list will be 

 accepted bj' North American entomologists. In the section dealing with diurnal lepi- 

 doptera the careful and painstaking work of Dr. Scudder on genera has received more 

 recognition than has previously been accorded it, although in the main Dr. Henry Skinner's 

 catalogue has been followed as to species. The Sphingidse are arranged as by Dr. J. B. Smith's 

 monograph, and naturally, in the Noctuidee, Dr. Smith, our highest authority, has been 

 followed. The manuscript of the Geometridte and the Phycitinte and of the Pyralidae was 

 prepared by the late Dr. G. D. Hulst, the remaining subfamilies of the Tnieoidea, together with 

 the Pterophoridee and Tortricidje, by Dr. C. H. Fernald. Mr. August Busck, the eminent 

 Tineidologist, helped much in the Tineid groups proper and the Gelechiidse. 



It will thus be seen thit Dr. Dyar added to his own vast knowledge of the Lepidoptera of 

 North America the latest views of all the leading specialists in the various groups, and, as was 

 well said by Dr. Bethune, the editor of the Canadian Entomologist,* "the preparation of this 

 list has evidently involved a very large expenditure of time and labour ; we must all acknow- 

 ledge that the author has placed us under a deep debt of obligation to him. The work, 

 notwithstanding any criticism that may be passed upon it, is an extremely valuable one, and 

 will be found by its possessors to be most useful and, indeed, indispensable. Though we may 

 not agree with it on all points, we must admit its excellence and importance, and we beg to 

 congratulate the author on his achievement, and thank him for what he has accomplished." 



Prof. Grote's articles in the Canadian Entomologist for 1903, should be read carefully con- 

 cerning some of the species mentioned in Dr. Dyar's list. 



It will be noticed by our readers that an asterisk {*) has been placed before the serial 

 numbers to indicate species not represented in the U. S. National Museum, and it is sincerely 

 hoped that Canadian collectors will not be slow to show their appreciation and gratitude to the 

 authors and the Smithsonian Institution by sending many specimens of northern insects to fill 

 gaps in the magnificent collection at Washington, which is at the disposal of students from the 

 whole world, and where the utmost care is taken for the preservation of the specimens 

 from injury of all kinds. 



Beutenmueller, Wm. Descriptive Catalogue of the Noctuida-, found within 50 miles of New 

 York City. Part ii., Dec. 1902. -This is a most useful pamphlet of 46 pages, prepared in the 

 author's usual careful manner, and gives good figures and short descriptions of many of 



'Can. Ent, 1903, p. 142. 



