RB VIEWS. 53 



work. They and their co-workers have had to create a terminology 

 with which to explain and record their facts. The older Icpidoptorists, 

 who have worked side by side with them, have been able to keep up, if 

 so they wished. But for those who have not kept up, have fallen l)ehind, 

 or wish to begin the study, there is an urgent need for information 

 which may translate what has become, or is, an unknown language to 

 them. Both the old collector and the beginner ask for a guide-book, 

 which shall be simple enough to put them on the right track, 

 and yet precise enough to explain to them, if they be of a mind 

 to learn, what present-day workers have to tell them about the 

 inner secrets of their study. It is just this which Part iii supplies. 

 The seven plates accompanying the text will enable the student to 

 compare the real objects with the descriptions, to understand the 

 modern descriptions of ovum, larva, and pupa, and enable him to 

 describe these stages in language which will he definite and under- 

 standable. If any defence of this point be necessary, one has only to 

 turn for support to the memorable words of H. T. Stainton in his 

 Manual, vol. i., p. 70, where, after urging the careful study of all the 

 stages of the butterflies which he has been describing, and putting 18 

 questions as to their life-history, he concludes : " When these questions 

 can be answered with reference to each species ot our butterflies, we 

 may then admit that their natural history is known, and it would 

 then be practicable to write a good monograph of the whole." The 

 second section is of the same nature as Parts i and ii, consisting of 

 some 1200 hints, arranged in their proper superfamilies, and placed 

 under the month during which the species occur. It is noticeable 

 that certani superfamilies, which uere not so fully noted in the former 

 parts, are here dealt with at length. Amongst others are noticed the 

 Eriocraniides, Crambides, Pyralides, Geometrides, Anthrocerides, 

 iEgeriides, Deltoides, Notodontides, Noctuides, Lithosiides, Hesperiides, 

 and Papilionides. These are all verj' fully treated, and comprise pos- 

 sibly two-thirds of the hints in this final part, those on the Geometrids, 

 Noctuids and butterflies being particularly extensive. A word of praise 

 is especially due to the beautiful photographs of eggs, illustrating those 

 of the various superfamilies, while the explanatory details of Mr. 

 Bacot's and Dr. Chapman's diagrams of larvae and pupffi form a little 

 text-book in themselves, the pupal details being especially clear and 

 easy to follow. Finally we come to the indexes, thanks for which are 

 due to Mr. Turner, which will make the contents of all these parts 

 get-at-able, as they could not be without their aid. They comprise a 

 "general" and a "specific" index. From the latter we find that 

 some 1000 of the 2100 P>ritish species of lepidoptera are dealt with in 

 the work in some stage or other. The number of hints devoted to 

 individual species varies, we find, from one to twenty-six, the latter in 

 the case of ]>im(irj)/ia n'lsindora. We heartily congratulate the author 

 upon the completion of his very useful volume, and feel sure that his 

 original wish, that the book would help many collectors to make 

 scientific use of their study, will be amply fulfilled. We must not 

 neglect to say that the author has erred on the right side, if at all, in 

 persuading Mr. Tonge to contribute so luminous, yet simple, a chapter 

 on the ways and methods of photographing eggs for reproduction. 

 This will, no doubt, bring many recruits into the field. Two of the 

 plates are reproduced for this number to illustrate some of the points 

 to which reference has been nuide. — C. R. N. B. 



