48 



THE ENTOMOLOGIST S RECORD, 



in this spot to die ; in fact, while he watched he observed others come 

 and remain to die ; also an Ichneumon, the thorax of which, when 

 captured, was covered with bright red parasites of large size, making 

 the insect appear to have a very large bright red thorax ; also a speci- 

 men of Crahro palmipea, with a cluster of eggs at the base of the 

 wings on one side. Mr. V. Smith : Pterostichus lepidus, ( 'ymlndis 

 luqjorariorum, and Thymalus liiabatus, from Cannock Chase. 



;]S{EYIEWS AND NOTICES OF BOOKS. 



Harrow Butterflies and Moths (Vol. I.), by J. L. Bonhote, M.B.O.U., 



and Hon. N. C. Rothschild, F.E.S., F.Z.S. [Sold for the Harrow School 

 Scientific Society, l)y J. C. Wilbee, HarrowJ. 



We have read for review a great many local lists of Lepidoptera, 

 some good, many indifferent, but very few have ever exhibited the care, 

 both as to the arrangement of the contents, and the general get-up of 

 the book, that this little volume exhibits. The introductory notes are 

 to the point, and we quite agree that " strict conformity with a 

 standard list is of more importance than strict accuracy." It only 

 occurs to us whether, if this be right in principle, Standinger's 

 Catalogue should not have been followed. We do not agree with dis- 

 carding the term " variety," nor are the reasons given for doing so 

 sound or logical. The term has a definite meaning, and because it has 

 been previously used for " subspecies " and " aberrations," its disuse 

 for "local races " is not to be praised. We have one other point to 

 cavil about, and that is the retention of the Incompletm among the 

 Macro-Lepidoptera so-called. The principles on which the classifica- 

 tion of our larger moths should proceed have now been largely agreed 

 upon. The best thinkers in America and Europe are at one as to the 

 main lines of classification, and there is no excuse for the maintenance 

 of the old shibboleths by our younger workers, who have been trained 

 under entirely difit'erent conditions from those of our older workers, 

 whose science is of a pre-Darwinian era. We note with pleasure that the 

 Nymphalidae and Pieridae are brought together among the butterflies. 



So much for our growl, and we state plainly that we growl only 

 because we want to see the young workers break completely away from 

 the conservatism that is at present the curse of entomology. The 

 whole list, as far as it goes, is excellent ; it is evidently a labour of 

 love, carefully, and, in its way, successfully carried out. 



As to the detailed notes in connection with the various species, they 

 are to the point, carefully thought out, and in the main correct. The 

 most incorrect statement we notice is with regard to Coh'as hyale, in 

 which the authors, on the authority of Mr. Frohawk, state of the 

 species that, " As six weeks is more than sufficient for the entire 

 metamorphosis of this butterfly, there is a succession of broods in 

 favourable years, and so no exact time of appearance can be given." 

 This is approximately true of V. edusa, but Avhen C. hyale immigrate 

 here in ]\Iay and June, the brood resulting from the eggs laid by the 

 immigrants appears very regularly in August, nor has another brood 

 following this ever been recorded, as was the case with C. edtisa in 

 1877. If we cannot say much for the conclusions which Mr. Frohawk 

 deduces from his observations on butterflies, we have nothing but 

 praise for the excellent plate which he draws as a frontispiece to the 

 little volume. 



