72 [August. 1S32. 



respecting insects may not be derived, -while many, like the work before us, Tvill 

 always retain a permanent scientific value. 



Frank Gates, whose last travels are recorded in the present work, when a young 

 Entomologist was settled at Leeds, he afterwards became a student at Oxford, where 

 he showed a great taste for out-door exercise and Natural History. After several 

 premonitory symptoms, his health gave way to such an extent as to compel him to 

 renounce his hopes of a successful University career ; and on his partial recovery, he 

 undertook his first journey out of Europe to America, where he spent a year, travel- 

 ling chiefly in Guatemala and California. Soon after his return from America, he 

 set out again for South Africa, with the fixed intention of reaching the Zambesi. 

 During the early part of his journey, he was accompanied by a brother ; but after- 

 wards he travelled alone, or with such European travellers as he chanced to encounter. 

 Unhappily he was detained in the country two years, by the stolid opposition of the 

 natives, before he was permited to visit the Falls, of which, however, he gives no 

 account, though he took some striking sketches. He saw the falls to great advantage; 

 but having been obliged to visit them during an unhealthy part of the year, he was 

 attacked by fever shortly afterwards, and died at a few days' journey on his home- 

 ward route. 



The account of his journey is compiled by one of his brothers from his notes 

 and journals. He made extensive collections and sketches, and the book is illus- 

 trated by numerous coloured plates and woodcuts of scenery, and natural history ; 

 and the appendix occupies a third of the volume, including Ethnology by Dr. 

 Rolleston, Ornithology by R. TJ. Sharpe, Esq., Herpetology by Dr. Griinther, Ento- 

 mology by Prof. Westwood, Botany by Prof. Oliver, and a list of Mahalaha "Words 

 and Phrases from F. Oates' note books. The section of Entomology, which is 

 what chiefly concerns us here, consists of a complete list of the butterflies taken (72 

 species), an account of the more important moths, and general notes of the insects 

 of other orders, with notices and figures of three new beetles, and the Tsetze Fly. 

 This appendix includes 65 pages of text, three beautifully executed coloured plates, 

 and one plain plate, representing details of external anatomy. The body of the 

 work likewise contains occasional references to Entomology ; thus the plate opposite 

 p. 143 shows on one side a native oven, formed of a termite-hill, the lower portion 

 of which is hollowed out, and filled with wood, which is set on fire, and when con- 

 sumed, renders the receptacle an admirable oven, retaining its heat for a great length, 

 of time. On p. 135 a woodcut is given of a termite-hill which was no less than 18 

 feet high. 



The Student's List op British Coleopteiia. Mr. Pascoe sends us the 

 following : "In your review of my little work, " The Student's List of British Coleo- 

 ptera " (p. 46 ante), you say " our author is very severe on writers of ' unrecognisable ' 

 descriptions ;" but the reasons given in a note, which related exclusively to the 

 older writers, are that they were " made without a knowledge of allied species," and 

 that " the most important points of structure remain unnoticed." I did not com- 

 plain of " writers utterly incompetent," nor of others " fully competent " who failed 

 to impart their knowledge to others. I did, however, complain of descriptions 

 "pour prendre date," the writers, I believe, confiding to the protection of an absolute 

 rule of priority whereby the most diagnostic notice serves the purpose." 



