CURRENT NOTES. 245 



URRENT NOTES. 



Good catalogues are absolutely necessary, if we are ever to get 

 about large collections quickly and without loss of time. One of the 

 best and most carefully compiled catalogues that we have seen for 

 many a day is the Cataloijue of the Erycifiidae, by Levi W. Mengel, 

 Reading, Pennsylvania, from whom it can be obtained. The author 

 has, for his own guidance, laid down the wholesome rule that, in 

 making a catalogue, there should be no attempt to sink either genera 

 or species, except in cases where it seems clear that this must be done. 

 After all, the arrangement of a catalogue (like that of a collection) is 

 little, the ability to get easily at what is in it is everything. The 

 excellent index enables one to do this readily. 



Mr. Percy H. Grimshaw (Ent, Mo. Ma;/.) suggests an uniform 

 nomenclature for the bristles and hairs which are attached to the 

 various surfaces of the legs of the Diptera, and illustrates his sugges- 

 tions by reference to the common bluebottle fly, CalUplwra erythroce- 

 phala, Mg, 



Mr. Champion {FJnt. Mo. May.) notes, concerning the discussion 

 that has taken place as to whether Lyiiu:rylon navale, Linn., is really 

 a native of Britain or an importation, that he and other entomologists 

 found it quite at home in early July in the New Forest. 



The current volume of The South- Eastern Xaturalist was published 

 within about five weeks of the conclusion of the Congress, held at 

 Reigate this year, and, although it has on this occasion only one purely 

 entomological paper, an excellent one by Mr. Tonge, on " Lepi- 

 dopterous Ova," it contains also many papers of the highest interest to 

 general naturalists, by many well-known experts, of which Miss 

 Saunders' paper " Mendel's theory of Heredity," and Welchmann and 

 Salmon's " Flora of the Reigate District," may be specially noted. 



Dr. Kellogg's new work, American Insects-''-, may be compared with 

 two other excellent works, Packard's Text-book of Entomoloijy, and 

 Sharp's Insecta in the Cambridge series. In many respects, we con- 

 sider the work under review supplements these, and, for clearness of 

 exposition and accuracy of detail, compares more than favourably with 

 them. To many readers, especially to those who, whilst studying 

 specially one order, want a clear explanation of the general characters 

 and biology of the other orders, the book must be a precious boon, 

 from which the fact that the illustrations are taken from American 

 insects detracts nothing. Dr. Kellogg has long undoubtedly been in 

 the first rank of American entomologists, and this latest work can 

 only add lustre to an already distinguished name, Avhich will now 

 become as well known to general entomologists as it has already long 

 been to those who have studied his special work. We congratulate 

 the author on a first-class production, and hope to be able to refer to 

 the work again in a later number. 



The Rev. C. R. N. Burrows will be deeply obliged to any reader 

 who will supply him with information as to the variation, habits, 

 or any noticeable feature in the life-history of Hemithea striyata 

 (thymiaria) . 



This year the Societe Entomologique de Belgique celebrates its 



* Published by Henry Holt and Co., New York. 674 + vi pp. Profusely 

 illustrated. 



