34 THE entomologist's record. 



subject. The author gives in this paper, an account (extracted from 

 Dr. Ohaus' original record in the Stettiner EntuiiwliM/iscJie Zeitnny, 

 1900, p. 164) of the family life of certain species of the Pasmlidae, 

 which reads more like a fairytale than the sober record of a naturalist's 

 study of insect economy ; these observations of Dr. Ohaus have 

 overthrown definitelj' the old theory that social life is unknown amongst 

 beetles, and we are finding out that there is as much to be learnt 

 from exhaustive and carefully organised study of the earlier stages of 

 beetle life as there is in the study of the communities of the social 

 hymenoptera. I have no hesitation in saying that Mr. Arrow's paper 

 is one of the most noteworthy contributions made by British coleopterists 

 to natural science during the past few years. In connection with this 

 subject of stridulatory organs, Dr. Sharp published a note in the Ent. 

 Mo. Map., vol. xl.,p. 277, pointing out how an organ originally designed 

 for a certain purpose, might, in course of time, be adapted for another. 



The year has seen the issue of the latest "Catalogue of British 

 Coleoptera," prepared by Mr. Donisthorpe and the writer, and follow- 

 ing in its arrangement of families and genera that adopted by 

 Canon Fowler in his " British Coleoptera." Mr. Newbery made {Ent. 

 Record, vol. xvi., p. 204) some comments on the rarer and doubtful 

 species in this list, to which the authors of the catalogue replied (p. 

 289). 



The concluding section of vol. 5 of M. Bedel's work Eaune des 

 Coleopteres dii Bassrn de la Seine, has become available to British 

 coleopterists ; this completes the section Phytophaga. Every British 

 coleopterist, who desires to become something naore than a mere 

 collector, should possess this work ; the low price at which it is issued 

 puts it within the reach of every one, and no satisfactory work can be 

 done at our beetle fauna without constant reference to the pages of M. 

 Bedel's book, and to the works of Herr Ganglbauer and those of others 

 of the leading continental coleopterists. 



The year has again been one of progress, and of promise for the 

 future, especially as several of our younger recruits seem bent on doing 

 something better than merely walking in the footsteps of those who 

 have gone before, and are devoting themselves to the study of the life- 

 history of beetles and to other equally fascinating and neglected 

 branches of the study. May 1905, at its close, present an equally good 

 record and an equally good prospect of advance. 



Types of the genera of the Agdistid, Alucitid and Orneodid 

 plume moths. 



By J. W. TUTT, F.E.S. 



Meyrick and other authors have, during the past few years, made 

 considerable changes in the nomenclature of the Agdistid, Alucitid and 

 Orneodid moths, many of which appear to be sound, whilst others seem 

 to be unwarranted by the literature of the subject. As it has become 

 imperative for me to study the literature relating to this group, I beg 

 to otl'er a few facts as to the names, and should be glad of any criticism, 

 privately, as to the details here published. 



1758. Alucita, Linne. — Bestricted by Scopoli, in 1777, to the long- 

 legged plumes (thus excluding Orneodes). Type fixed as pentadacti/la 

 by Leske in 1779. [In Walsingbam and Durrant's opinion the type 

 was fixed as pentadactyla by Poda in 1761.] 



