158 



THE ENTOMOLOGIST S RECORD. 



better known as Urania rJiiji/uns. On each side of the 2n(l abdominal 

 segment there is an ear-like opening, usually much concealed by over- 

 lapping scales, giving entrance to a chamber, which extends to the 

 middle line, and forwards, towards the base of the abdomen, so that a 

 considerable space in the anterior and upper part of the abdomen is 

 occupied by the chambers. At the anterior external part of this. 

 depression or chamber there is a second vesicle-like chamber, formed 

 by a delicate membrane. He considered this structure to be some 

 kind of sense organ, and thought it must be of great importance to 

 the creature, as it occupies a large area of the abdominal region. It 

 is independent of sex, and apparently occurs in all the members of 

 the families rraniidac and KpipUniiiilae. Mr. Oberthiir had kindly 

 supplied him liberally with dried specimens, for the examination of 

 this organ ; but fresh individuals, or some well preserved in spirit, are 

 necessary before any of the finer details of the structure can be ascer- 

 tained. 



;KiEYIEWS AND NOTICES OF BOOKS. 



Das Studium dee Braconiden, etc. von Dr. 0. Schmeideknecht. 

 [Pubd. by J. Neumann, Neudamm, Germany. Price Is.] — The idea 

 of this brochure is a good one, but the mode of its execution leaves 

 something to be desired. It would appear that the Rev. T. A. 

 Marshall has in vain tried to use it in concluding his 3rd volume of 

 the Braconidae. The dichotomy of the table is so imperfect, that the 

 enquirer is sure to lose himself at every fresh search. New headings 

 occur in the middle of the work without any numbers leading up to 

 them : e.v. (jr., at the beginning of Bracon, No. 7 has no connection 

 with any previous no. One is tempted to surmise that the author 

 has only a hazy notion of dichotomy, as the definitions are not always 

 contradictory, as they should be. This is not important in the case 

 of old and well-known species, but the 22 new species are absolutely 

 indeterminable. Of course, they require detailed descriptions, and 

 anything short of this is merely illusory. The manner in which the 

 divisions are printed gives no assistance to the eye. In fact, the con- 

 fusion already subsisting in the genus Bracon will not be mitigated by 

 anything in this paper, and the list of doubts is increased by 22. It 

 is to be regretted that the writer is a blind partisan of C. G. Thomson, 

 and adopts without enquiry all his conclusions, some of which are 

 certainly wrong. The chief mistake which falls within the scope of 

 this present work is the insertion in the genus Vipio of some species 

 belonging to the Donjctidae (p. 6, Nos. 26-29) ; this is from Thomson. 

 And again, No. 31 is not Vipin, but Bracon {IpJnanla.v, Forster). This 

 last fad of Thomson's leads to a confusion quite chaotic, if adopted, 

 and destroys all distinctions between Vq)io and Bracon. Many 

 hundreds of exotic species of Bracon (Ijihianla.r j are now to be joined 

 to Vipio, though totally unlike, merely on the authority of Thomson. 

 Lastly, Dr. S. has not quite included all the described species of the 

 two genera. 



Notice. — Owing to the summer holidays, the July and August 

 numbers will be published on July 1st and August 1st respectively. 

 Exchange Lists, Advertisements, etc., for these numbers must be sent 

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