82 Journal New York Entomological Society, t^^'^oi- xxv. 



similar to the Coleoptera of Indiana, but the inclusion of all of our 

 eastern species (despite the more modest pretense of its title) and 

 the rather full statements of distribution enormously increase its 

 usefulness, and elevate it at once to the front rank of American ento- 

 mological text-books. 



The aim of the work has been, in the words of the author " To 

 furnish students and tyros in entomology a simple manual which 

 would enable them in the most direct way possible to arrange, 

 classify, and determine the scientific names of the weevils in their 

 collections." Therefore undue technicality has been avoided. Two 

 factors that contribute much 'toward the attainment of the aims of 

 the work, as thus set forth, are the keys and the illustrations. The 

 latter are numerous, uniformly excellent, and in a considerable 

 measure original. The former are lucid and give evidence of much 

 care and discrimination and of the same appreciation of the view- 

 point of the novice that characterizes the keys in the " Coleoptera of 

 Indiana," and makes them easily useable. The senior author is 

 responsible for the keys and descriptions, except in the Scolytidse 

 and the genus Balanimis, which were prepared entirely by Mr. Leng. 



The introduction contains an interesting summary of the struc- 

 ture and structural variations within the Rhynchophora. Particularly 

 interesting is the discussion of the antennae. These organs show a 

 progressive modification which has been used as the chief basis for 

 the interpretation of the phylogenetic relations of the major groups 

 and assignment to their respective positions. The most primitive 

 form is found in the Brenthidse, in which they are straight, without 

 a club, and the segments subequal. In the Rhinomacerinae and 

 Anthribidae the last three segments are widened and form a weak 

 club, but retain their relative lengths. In the Apionin^e, Alloco- 

 rhyninae and Tachygonin^e (Curculionidse), the last three segments 

 are modified into a club, but are distinctly separated by sutures, the 

 three being of equal length, or the last one elongate. In the great 

 bulk of more highly specialized Rhynchophora we find a development 

 in a different direction. "The first joint becomes more or less 

 elongate, . . . and beyond it the antenna is suddenly bent, elbowed 

 or ' geniculate ' . . . concurrently we find the development of grooves 

 to receive the antennae. . . . The club is usually compact, formed 

 of three approximately equal joints separated by sutures; the whole 



