1905.] 121 



Homoptera {Cicadina and PsylUna), and will, we hope, be a stimulus to others to 

 enlarge it ; even now it compares favourably in the Heteroptera with Norfolk, 

 showing only 15 less than that county, which has had the special attention of two 

 first rate Hemipterists, Messrs. J. Edwards and H. J. Thouless ; in the Ilomopfera 

 the respective numbers do not comjjare so well, but then this section was Mr. 

 Edwards' speciality, and on this account probably no county has been so well 

 worked as Norfolk for the species contained in it. A reviewer is expected to find a 

 few faults, and in this case the object of commencing all specific names with capital 

 letters seems lo be doubtful, their use is certainly unusual, also the introduction of 

 Phytocoris di\tinctus as a separate species, which is now universally considered as a 

 variety of poj)uli, is regrettable, and also in the localities given for Anthocoris 

 sarothainni, "a dead fir hedge," a species attached to the common " Broom ;" 

 Psallus obscurellus, "on an aspen," which is a regular fir tree species. Asciodema 

 obsoletum, " on Hypericum, and " on hazel," a broom and furze species, are so un- 

 usual that a warning note should have been given to show that these are ni t tlie 

 natural habitats of the species. These small faults however can be easily rectified 

 in a subsequcTit edition, which we hope may soon be wanted. — E. S. 



A MONOGRAPU OF THE ANOPHELES MOSQUITOES OF InDIA. By S. P. JAMES, 



M.B., I. M.S., and W. Glen Liston, M.D., I, M.S. Calcutta: Thacker, Spink and 

 Co. 1905. 



This book has been written with the object of enablng medical men in India 

 to easily recognise, any of the " malarial " gnats, and it has been written most 

 admirably with that object. About twenty-three species have been described, and 

 fifteen exquisite plates have been given, which will undoubtedly enable anybody to 

 name with coihparative certainty any of the species. The writers do not profess to 

 be ultra-scientific entomologists, and thereby show their common sense and probably 

 better true science than the genus- and species-makers who have preceded tliem. 

 At any rate there remains the fact that their species will be easily and accurately 

 recognised, while the writings of Theobald will prove stumbling blocks for genera- 

 tions. They have wisely ignored the insufficiently distinguished genera of Theobald, 

 which have commonly been founded on minute and practically indistinguishable 

 characters, and which are consequently valueless to the " field " naturalist. A little 

 more accuracy might be desirable in some of their terms, as such words as "two 

 white hind tarsi " do not convey any definite meaning, but criticism of such a kind 

 is unnecessary. The table of species is well worked out in a simple and intelligible 

 method. Very valuable figures of the larvae of most species are given. Only one 

 new species is described, for which the rather undesirable name of ^. cw/m/orwjs 

 is given, as that specific name lias already been used in the Culicidx (Corethra) 

 and in the Chironomidx {Tanypus) ,yi\\i\(i the name culicifacies occurs in the Indian 

 species of Anopheles itself. 



Altogether we cannot speak too highly of this work, as it is a most valuable 

 contribution to science and to medical knowledge. — Gr. H. V. 



