324 tHE entomologist's record. 



valuable feature. This is followed by a brief description of the whole 

 of the French Coleoptera, in the form of dichotomous tables. To these 

 are generally added the sizes of the insects, their geographical distri- 

 bution and habitat. It is to be regretted that the information on 

 these last three points is too often omitted (''.//., C/ni/soiiida, &c.). 

 Mons. Aclogue states in his introduction that he has admitted only 

 well defined species, with distinctly marked characters, and that if he 

 has united under the same name types really distinct, he considers it a 

 less grave error than the minute sub-division of species now so prevalent, 

 and in his opinion so fatal to the progress of natural science. It is to 

 this cause that the British student must attribute the fact that many 

 insects which are familiar to us in our lists, and which are also French 

 species, have no place in this work. Some, it is true, are inserted in 

 italics as sub-species, but others have altogether disappeared. One 

 instance will suffice : Bedel recognises five species of Larcobiux, here 

 we have but one, i.<'., L. iiiinutus. It is a pity that all species 

 recognised as such by men like Bedel, Reitter, etc., were not at least 

 inserted in italics as sub-species, as the student is often quite in the 

 dark as to the species with which the author has considered them 

 identical. It must be admitted that for the larger and more difficult 

 genera the dichotomous system alone is of no use to the tyro, and 

 little better than a sort of dictionary to the advanced student. In the 

 genus lloiiiahita, for instance, taken in its larger sense, even if it were 

 possible to arrive at a correct determination of an insect by means of 

 tables, the student could never feel sure of his correctness. The fact 

 is, one wants all the confirmation afforded by the relative size of the 

 antennal joints, as well as the sexual characters — so important in this 

 genus — to arrive at anything like reasonable certainty. Tables, 

 however, are not to be despised, and Canon Fowler's work is marred 

 in the genera llomalota, O.ri/pnda and Mi/llaoia by their omission. 

 Our author is well aware of the shortcomings of the dichotomous 

 system, and says as much in his introduction. It is, however, the 

 only one that can be used in a work of this kind. Its great fault is 

 that the student is called upon to decide, without any collateral aid, 

 point after point of the greatest nicety ; the slightest error leading him 

 completely astray. This is no dispai'agement of the book, however, forthe 

 author has really done wonders with the means at his command. It 

 is only necessary to cite the difficult genus Cri/pfoji/iai/Hs, in which he 

 has discarded the old and useless sub-division by means of the basal 

 fold and callosities of the thorax, in favour of one based on the 

 pubescence, to show how good is the work done. The want of an index 

 to the genera is an omission which must be rectified in any future 

 editions ; and sufficient care has not been taken to give correctly the 

 line representing the size in the figures, Cuindda i/othico being 

 represented as larger than Xebria vimiplanata. This is but one instance 

 among many. There is also no gain in giving this line only half its 

 real dimensions. It could have been done in the few necessary cases, 

 and so marked. In giving figures of structural details in the tables of 

 families, etc., as they arise, an immense stride has been made. More 

 still might be done in this way. But no work on the subject ought to 

 be published in future without them. In conclusion, we can only 

 regret that we have no work of the kind in English. In the mean- 

 time, no student of British Coleoptera should neglect to procure this 

 admirable work. 



