18%. 1(J3 



The late Mr. John Scott's collection of British Rhynchota. — Having just had 

 occasion to refer to the Preface to Mr. Buckton's " Monograph of British Cicadce," 

 I was rather surprised to see the statement that " the late Mr. John Scott's cabinet 

 has been unfortunately scattered." I thought it was generally known, and it is to 

 be regretted that Mr. Buckton did not. know, that the British Museum had a first 

 selection from this collection, including all specimens of any importance, and in some 

 instances, such as the Pxyllidce, almost his entire series. Besides these, all the types 

 that could be found of his exotic species are also now in our Museum. — Chas. O. 

 Wateehouse, British Museum (Natural History) : June, 1896. 



SOME RECENT AMERICAN PUBLICATIONS. 



Revision of the American Fossil Cockroaches, with Descriptions of 

 New Forms : by Samuel Hubbaed Scudder. Bulletin of the U. S. Geological 

 Survey, No. 124. 8vo, pp. 17fi, and 12 plates. Washington : Government Printing 

 Office. 1895. 



In this bulky bulletin the author records up to date his knowledge of a subject 

 he has made peculiarly his own. It principally concerns palseozoic forms, and a list 

 of described European species is also given. It is stated that in 1879 only seventeen 

 palseozoic species were known : at the present time the number is 132 species, and 

 additions are constantly being made. A vast number of these are figured. As in 

 all fossil insects a great deal must always remain uncertain, owing to fragmentary 

 condition, &c., and bearing this in mind it seems doubtful policy to describe from, 

 and impose names upon, some of the fragments figured. 



The Crambid^ of North America: by C. H. Fernalu, A.M., Ph.D. 

 8vo, pp. 81, with 3 plain and 6 coloured plates. Massachusetts Agricultural College. 

 1896. 



In this memoir Prof. Fernald has given a substantial addition to the knowledge 

 of North American Lepidoptera, and it will be of use to British students also on 

 account of the fact that a not inconsiderable number of our forms occur in North 

 America, and to the more scientific of their body from the three plates of structural 

 details. The coloured figures seem entirely satisfactory, and as for the letter-press 

 it need scarcely be said that it is exhaustive. To the economic entomologist the 

 memoir cannot fail to be useful. 



New Mallophaga : by Vernon L. Kellogg ; from Contributions to Biology 

 from the Hopkins Seaside Laboratory, iv, reprinted from the Proc. Calif. Acad. Nat. 

 Sci., ser. 2, vol. vi. 8vo, pp. 168, with 14 plates. Leland Stanford Jr. University, 

 Palo Alto., Cal. 1896. 



As in many other American publications there is a great deal more in this im- 

 portant memoir than is indicated in the title. Although detailing specially, and 

 describing, the species found on maritime birds in the Bay of Monterey, it is really 

 a capital introduction to the study of the group as a whole in a condensed form, the 

 first 79 pages being devoted to such an introduction and the necessary information 

 aa to mounting and preserving. Without committing himself to any positive 

 statement of opinion, the author adopts the latest idea in classification, that of con- 



