- 5 8- 



This paper is issued as Bulletin No. 5 of the Bureau of Entomolog) 

 and its scope is sufficiently set forth in its title. Mr. Howard has for 

 some time past made a special study of the parasitic Hymenoptera, and 

 we are pleased to see some of the results of his patient and persistent 

 labor. Six sub-families are embraced in the present paper. All the 

 genera and a large number of new species are described. The paper is 

 a valuable addition to the literature of this most interesting order. 



Catalogue of the Exhibit of Economic Entomology at the World's Industrial 

 and Cotton Centennial Exposition, New ( Means 1884—85. Washington, (Dept. 

 oi Agriculture) 1884, pp. 1 — 95. 



Boletin de la Academia Nacional de Ciencias en Cordoba (Republico Arg 

 entina) Tome VII, Entraga I, 2 et 3. Buenos Aires 1884, pp. 1 -392. | All oc- 

 cupied by an article on the Staphylindae of Buenos Aires, by Felix Lynch Arri 

 balzaga] . 



Contributions to the Descriptive and Systematic Coleopterology of North 

 America. Part II. By Thos. L. Casey, Lieut. <>f Eng'rs, U. S. A. Philadelphia, 

 December 1884, pp. 61 — 198. 



Mr Casey has here given us a pamphlet, for which, with the best 

 possible intentions, it is impossible to say a word of praise. He describes 

 93 new species, several of them in genera that have not yet been worked 

 up. Thus there are several new species of Bembidium, or as Mr. Casey 

 calls it "Btmbidion"; a new Tachys which it takes over a page of brevier 

 tvpe to describe, which is two millimeters long, and is unique. Such de- 

 scriptions are aggravating, for their minuteness of detail, and after all 

 they amount to nothing but additional names for the lists. 



There are also three new species of Cratacanthus based on color and 

 proportion of parts. This, in our opinion is unwarranted; dubius is an 

 exceedingly variable form, and every species described by Mr. Casey is 

 represented in our scries. 



Mr. Casey in his introductory remarks, stated that he used a bin- 

 ocular microscope with mechanical universal-jointed stage clip for hold- 

 ing the pin. This as we can testify from personal inspection is a fine 

 instrument, but the great difficult}- is that it exaggerates unimportant 

 characters — even individual has peculiarities, in which it differs from 

 other individuals of the- same species, and Mr. Casey's careful descript- 

 ions are individual, and not characteristic of species, Mr. Casey entirely 

 fails to make any allowance for variation. His illustration in reference 

 to astronomical minutness of detail is totally inapplicable. This science 

 has for its aim the discovery of the laws regulating stellar motions. These 

 laws are immutable — there is no allowance to make for variations; while 

 in the Coleoptera there are scarcely two specimens exactly alike. 



