238 Mart'h. 



measure in the place of our own " inch," but I think the otherwise almost universally- 

 accepted metrical standard will gradually be more and more recognised, and used, 

 by us, when measurements may be required that concern other than British Ento- 

 mologists (who will presume to draw the line ?). That "thousands of insects have 

 been described under the old system " (the " old system," according to most British 

 Entomologists, would mean the English inch) is of little importance ; monographic 

 work is gradually reducing these, even in measurements, to a standard, which I take 

 to be the aim (even if sometimes visionary) of every scientific writer. Some other 

 points in my friend's notes (such as the definition of a microscopic object, and the 

 importance of minute dimensions of parts of insects) must be passed over. The 

 thermometrical allusion shows sufficiently the want of a " standard," as most of us 

 have felt ; but I may be permitted to say that our own scientific physicists and 

 chemists now almost generally adopt the "Centigrade" reading as their "standard." 

 I made only " a suggestion," but it has occasioned with me an amount of cor- 

 respondence, and verbal interchange of ideas, that were never anticipated. It was 

 really addressed to British Entomologists, who in the course of their studies have 

 been obliged to consider the question otherwise than as exclusively British. I will 

 be especially grateful to those amongst us who use, or favour the use of, the Paris 

 inch, if they will acknowledge such on post-cards (its use amongst us, unacknowledged 

 and unsuspected, I take to be of serious importance) ; the question of the general 

 adoption of the metrical system, or of the English inch, I leave to those whom it 

 may intimately concern ; each of our Entomologists can judge for himself, and the 

 editors do not desire to raise a controversy on the subject. — R McLachlan, 39> 

 Limes G-rove, Lewisham : 13th February, 1882. ' 



The New Zealand Journal of Science. — A Journal under this title, a large por- 

 tion of which will be devoted to Natural History, has been commenced at Dunedin, 

 New Zealand, edited by Mr. G-. M. Thomas, F.L.S. (published by Wilkie and Co.). 

 At present it will consist of 48 pp. bi-monthly at 10 shillings per annum. Amongst 

 the " contents " of No. 1 we notice a long paper by Capt. T. Broun, on " How to 

 collect and preserve Coleoptera." — Eds. 



Proceedings of the Perthshire Society of Natural Science, Yol. i, Pt. i, 

 1880-81 (1881), pp. 1—42, small 4to. Published by the Society. 



The completion of the Perthshire Natural History Museum at a cost of nearly 

 £2000 (forming the Moncrieff Memorial Pund) has been taken advantage of by the 

 Society for the commencement of the publication of " Proceedings," of which the 

 first part is before us. At present, entomology is insufficiently represented, almost 

 the only paper being one by Mr. S. H. Ellison, on the " Butterflies of the Perth 

 District ;" but under the energetic care of the Editor, Dr. Buchanan White, we 

 doubt not that more space will be devoted to our science in future parts. Geological 

 information is very full, as was natural under the Presidency of so distinguished 

 geologist as Prof. Geikie; so is the botanical part ; and the records cf excursions 

 are very useful, readable and instructive. We wish the Society all success in its new 

 undertaking. The form in which the proceedings are got up appears to us unfor- 

 tunate, being too strikingly suggestive of newspaper columns. 



