1880.] 95 



chinks in "dry walls"), while within a stone's throw of the same localities their 

 neighbours in nooks protected from the wind are flying freely. The flashes of light 

 are maintained at the ordinary rate of intermission after the insect has alighted, and 

 when it is caught in a hat ; but if it is held between the finger and thumb their 

 frequency is greatly increased. Within the cyanide bottle the beetle at first continues 

 to flash 3 but within a few seconds after being placed there, the light gleams steadily 

 without interruption, gradually dying away pari passu with the insect. 



At the end of April fire-flies were only just beginning to appear at C intra, and 

 therefore were few in number. At no time did I see them anywhere in throngs ; 

 consequently my notes exclusively refer to the behaviour of individual specimens in 

 solitude. — A. E. Eaton, 51, Park Road, Bromley, Kent : August 7th, 1880. 



Illustrations of Typical Specimens of Lepidoptera Heterocera in 

 the Collection of the British Museum. Part TV. North American Tortricidce. 

 By Lord Walsing-ham. London : printed by order of the Trustees, 1879. 4to, 

 pp. 84, and 17 Plates. 



This work is without doubt one of the most valuable contributions to our 

 knowledge of the North American Tortricidce that has hitherto appeared. His 

 lordship has not only described a large number of new species from our Pacific Coast, 

 but has also re-described the North American species of the Tortricidce published by 

 Francis Walker, giving colored figures of all. 



Of the work of Mr. Walker I have no need to speak, since his entomological 

 writings have been most fully discussed, not only by American and Grerman but also 

 by English entomologists themselves. Many Micro-Lepidopterists have quite disre- 

 garded his species because his descriptions are so very faulty, but Lord Walsingham 

 comes in with this most timely contribution and makes us acquainted with Walker's 

 species of the Tortricidce from North America, and it is sincerely hoped that he will 

 continue the work so well and auspiciously commenced, until he has re-published all 

 of Walker's species of the Micro- Lepidoptera from whatever country. 



To one who has examined Walker's types, it will be a matter of surprise that 

 so great a degree of accuracy has been obtained, for many of the typical specimens 

 in the British Museum, described by Walker, are so badly denuded that they ought 

 never to have been described at all. The imperfection and unnaturalness of some of 

 the illustrations are doubtless to be accounted for in this way. 



The system of classification laid down by Heinemann has been adopted with 

 some modifications ; but with all the imperfections of that system, it is, without 

 doubt, in the direction of a more complete and natural classification for the Tor- 

 tricidce than has been presented by others. 



There can be no doubt that a step has been taken in the right direction, in 

 raising the sub-genera of Heinemann to generic position, which has already been done 

 in part by Wocke and others. 



On the orthography of certain names there will, no doubt, be a difference of 

 opinion. Many agree with Prof. Zeller in changing the spelling of a word from 

 that given by the original author to one more consistent with the derivation, and 

 Lord Walsingham, in a letter just received by me, says, " I shall be grateful to you 



