1895.] 29 



same species was described at great length by Newman in 1851 (Zoologist, App., 

 pp. cxsxiii — cxxxvii), under the name of Dohrnia miranda, and he also com- 

 mented upon the peculiar structure of the antennae. Males only were known in 

 each case. The females have the antennfe simple, and the fifth ventral segment 

 unemarginate. Numerous specimens of both sexes are contained in the British 

 Museum, some of which were exhibited by Mr. C. O. Waterhouse at the M eeting of 

 the Entomological Society of London on May 2nd, 1877. The peculiar distortion 

 of the joints 5-7 of the antennte in the male is suggestive of a somewhat similar 

 character in various species of Meloe. -G. C. Champion, Horsell, Woking : Decem- 

 ber ISth, 1894. 



Ejitomohgical Pins. — While the question of improvements in pins is to front, I 

 would like to suggest that manufacturers should make pins without heads, at any 

 rate, the smaller sizes. Most entomologists now use forceps, and a pin without a 

 head would certainly be more convenient to take hold of; also the danger of jerking 

 an insect out of position through the forceps catching against the pin head when 

 being withdrawn would be avoided, and possibly a little less unparliamentary 

 language would be used. Headless pins would probably be cheaper. — Kalph C. 

 Beadlet, Sutton Coldfield : December, 1894. 



[I quite agree with our correspondent's suggestion, so far as the small sizes are 

 concerned. Of course the Editors of this Magazine never (or hardly ever) use 

 " unparliamentary " language, but the big heads of short small pins are a standing 

 temptation they would like to avoid. — R. McL.]. 



Official restrictions on the distribution of entomological specimens. — The report 

 of what took place at the last meeting of the Entomological Society of London, in 

 our present No., gives publicity to a vagary of our Postal authorities, who after 

 having given permission to the sending of insects by sample post to places abroad, 

 now declare packets so posted to be " contrary to regulations," and return them to 

 the senders. As bearing on this, we extract from a popular weekly the following 

 note, translated from the German " Neckarzeitung :" — " A recent freak of the 

 Russian Custom House authorities has been communicated to us by a friend in 

 Helsingfors, Finland. An entomologist, residing in that town, not long ago sent a 

 rare fly from Lapland to a brother scientist in Italy, but had the parcel returned 

 from the Russian frontier with the note — ' The importation of dead animals into 

 Russia is prohibited.' The parcel was subsequently forwarded vvl Sweden." — Eds. 



Butterflies and Moths (British) : by W. Furneaux, F.R.G.S. Pp. 350, 

 8vo, with 12 coloured plates and numerous illustrations in the text. London : 

 Longmans, Green and Co. 1894. 



This may be classed as a Christmas book, and will compare favourably with the 

 host of other works on the same subject, differing chiefly in the method of treatment. 

 It purports to figure and describe all the British Butterflies and a selection of the 

 Heterocerous Macros, with copious chapters on structure, preservation, collecting, &c., 

 and a list of all the species, concluding with the usual calendar. The coloured 

 plates are good (excepting pi. viii, larva;, &c. ; possibly they are somewhat under- 

 coloured, the fault in such works usually being the other way. It is well got up, 

 and nicely printed, and is a safe book for a present at the price. 



