204 THE entomologist's record. 



describes Trarhypldnem lUffitalis, new to Britain, from specimens 

 obtained on the banks of the Medway at roots of Heliant/ieininn and 

 Lotus. It is very close to T. ftpiniinaniis. 



The bed of the old lake Florissant, Colorado, still continues to 

 yield fossil remains of the Insecta. We have just received the 

 Bulletin of the Univeisiti/ of the State of Iowa containing a long account 

 of the study of a collection made in the summer of 1912 by H. F. 

 Wickham. A list of 95 species of Coleoptera is given, all of which were 

 obtained in a small excavation in the shale, not more than six feet 

 deep and possibly some twenty feet long. It is curious that the group, 

 which was the best represented, was the Bhynchophora, by some thirty- 

 eight species. Six plates are appended to the paper. 



Herr W. Junk (IBerlin) sends out a special edition of his Catalogue 

 of Works on Lepidoptera, No. 46, with the title Bibliotjraphia 

 Lepi(l()ptt')oloi/ia, in virtue of a preface of twenty pages " Des 

 Lepidopterologische Literatur," and six giving a list of Auctores 

 Lepidoptcrohviici ("living" understood). The title is a little ambitious, 

 but for a short paper, the " Lepidopterological Literature " may be 

 useful, as the author proposes, in suggesting " the value (for the 

 collector and the scientific worker) of the chief Lepidopterological books 

 and periodicals." It might be easy to criticise it, but as p^n apprecia- 

 tion of standard works and periodicals, by one who has opportunities 

 of judging of the extent to which they circulate, it has a definite value. 

 The list of living authors must similarly have a certain value, but it 

 would be easy to make a considerable list of names, some of which at 

 least ought to have been included. — T.A.C. 



That huge summary and general review of the results of the close 

 and continuous study of Systematic Entomology for the 150 years which 

 has elapsed since the time of Linnpeus, viz., the Genera Insectorum, has 

 reached fascicule 150. M. Wytsman of Brussels, who, with a com- 

 mittee of well known entomologists, is responsible for the issue of this 

 undertaking, has obtained the help of the best specialists in each 

 Family. A separate fascicule, with its own plates and pagination is 

 devoted to each Family or Subfamily, and is in the mother tongue 

 of the author. Some plates are plain, some are coloured, as the 

 subject requires. The greatest progress has been made with Coleoptera, 

 of which 51 fascicules have appeared, of the Hymenoptera 27 and of 

 the Lepidoptera 24 fascicules. Among the authors from the British 

 Isles are Dr. Jordan, H. Eltringham, Hon. Walter Rothschild, L. B. 

 Prout, Dr. Burr, E. Meyrick, W. L. Distant, T. Theobald, Rev. W. W. 

 Fowler, the late R. Shelford, the late M. Jacoby, etc. 



In a recent number of the Feuille des Jeunes Naturalistes is an 

 interesting article on the " Frequency of Melanism in the Lepidoptera 

 of the North-West of France." There is a list of the species in both 

 Macro- and Micro-Lepidoptera in which this phenomenon has been 

 observed in that district. The records were taken from six collections 

 only, but they are said to be large and comprehensive ones. In the 

 Rhopalocera are Papilio machaon ab. niurofasciatus, Pieris napi ab. 

 hryoniae (!), Poh/oimnatus phlaeas ab. almost black forewings, Apatura 

 ilia ab. iiiades, Limenitis populi ab. treiiiulae and ab. niijra, L. sibylla 

 ab. niyrina, Vanessa levana ab. obscura, Grapta c-album ab. very brown, 

 Melitaea aurlnia ab. obscura, M. athalia ab. navarina, Brenthis selene 

 ab. black, Dryas papJiia ab. valedna, and Epinephele jurtina ab. black. 



