84 Journal New York Entomological Society. [Vol. xxv. 



supported, so faf as the Scolytidse are concerned, by A. D. Hopkins. 

 It is worth while to compare the classification elaborated by Pierce 

 in a very recent paper,i with that adopted by Blatchley and Leng 

 (which is the old system of Lacordaire) and also with that of 

 Leconte and Horn. In doing this I do not mean to intimate that 

 the former would have been more satisfactory for the text under 

 consideration. Indeed, although in my ignorance of the group not 

 fairly entitled to an opinion, my personal predilections are strongly 

 for the more conservative classification. 



If Pierce (1916) is correct the maxillary palpi of Brentidse are 

 flexible, a fact evidently unknown to Blatchley and Leng, as also to 

 Leconte and Horn. If true this character will support the primitive 

 position to which they have assigned that family. They have shown 

 that the so-called flexible palpi of Anthribidse and Rhinomacerinse, 

 while less rigid than in other Rhynchophora, still preserve the gen- 

 eral character of the palpi observed throughout the suborder. 



In a text book of this kind, it is particularly important to be 

 conservative (as the authors have been) in discarding established 

 names, but it would also seem desirable to introduce parenthetically 

 or as alternative names those which will probably come to be used 

 in the future, or are by some authors used at present as the correct 

 group names. Such a course would not increase the beginners' 

 difficulties, but would simplify them, for they would greatly help him 

 in correlating the special literature of the subject with his manual. 

 A study of the type genera of the groups would doubtless have 

 enabled the authors to foreshadow the several changes that Pierce 

 has since shown to be necessary, such as the correction of the uni- 

 versal misspelling of Brentidae, Doydirhynchinse for Rhinomacerinse, 

 etc. These are however very minor points, and were the reviewer 

 desirous of mentioning only defects, this review would have to be 

 exceedingly brief for lack of material to write about. — J. Chester 

 Bradley. 



1 Studies of weevils (Rhyncophora) with descriptions of new genera and 

 species. By W. Dwight Pierce. Proceedings of the United States National 

 Museum. 1916. 51: 461-473. 



