8 1 



I'.ut tliese minor defects are all that the Lepidopterist will notice in the Check 

 List. As for the Label List, which is merely a spaced reproduction of the 

 other, it is all that could be desired in a work of that kind— a kind, however, that 

 is always of doubtful utility. 



.SVNOPSIS OF THE N. A. .Sl'ECIES OK SaTVKI'S, WeST., WITH NOTES ON THE 



species collected by the N. Transcontinental Survey. By John H. Smith. 

 l<>om the Bulletin of the Brooklyn Entom. Soc, Vol. \T, pp. 125—135, 

 April. 1S84. 



In this paper Mr. Smith reduces the 14 species of Kdwards' Catalo,i;ue and 

 the species (/i?«/«.y), since described by Mr. Edwards, to six, viz: U'/icr/cri, 

 Alope, Meadii, Sthenele, Baroni, and Silvestris. Under Alope Mr. Smith has 

 placed Pegala, Alope, and Nephele as forms, with Maritina, Texana, Boopis, 

 O/yiiipiis, An'aiir. and C'abhii as varieties of these forms, and huana as a 

 synonym of Boopis. 



As is usual, Mr. Smith tabulates the species treated of— a most excellent plan, 

 w liereby a few well directed words take the place of much tedious descriptive 

 matter. Nevertheless more minute descriptions, as well as remarks on various 

 inter.ijrades, and on localities, are not wanting. Occasional typographical errors 

 somewhat destroy the sense, as for instance, the occurrence oifrom v^hktm form 

 is intended, in two or three places. Mr. Smith evidently shares with his fellow 

 Lepidopterists considerable uncertainty as to the proper use of the various 

 terms to be applied to individuals differing from each other in less than a generic 

 tlegree. Under " var. Incana, Edw. " (p. 131) he comes to the conclusion that 

 he "cannot believe this form entitled to a distinct varietal name; " but imme- 

 diately afterwards he tells us that "Mr. Edwards very fully described the larva 

 of this species and some of its varieties." Such slips as these, however, do not 

 materially interfere with the great benefit that is done by a paper of this kind, 

 giving the student, as it does, a clear insight into the modifications of wing- 

 pattern in tlie genus treated of. 



I'lKST Annual Report of the Injurious and other Insects of the State 

 of New York. By J. A. Lintner, State Entomologist. 8vo., 405 pp. Al- 

 bany, 1882. (Issued Oct., 1883.) 



As was t(j be expected, this report seems to leave nt)thing to be desired in its 

 special field. Prof. Lintner begins by calling attention to the importance and 

 \alue of a study of Economic Entomology, to which subject he devotes twenty- 

 four pages ; following with thirty-eight pages on the relative merits of the 

 various insecticides. The chapter on "A new principle of protection from 

 Insect attack," will prove of great interest to all students of life-histories. The 

 new principle proposed is simply the use of certain sub.stances which "shall 

 furnish us a safej^iiard airainst the deposit of insect ^a'',^-^'-" ^his may be ac- 

 complished "by applying to the plant or to the soil certain odorous substances 

 which are popularly believed to be di.sagreeable to the insect, and thereft)re, to 

 drive it away. Such substances have been termed ' repellants,' but we doubt 

 that they exert a repellant force, and we believe the name to be a misnomer. 

 They do .so, by giving out an odor overpowering that of tiie |)lant (or 

 animal), thereby preventing its recognition by the insect." (pp. 66 — 67.) 

 Further, on p. 68, Prof. Lintner says: "All the wonderful phenomena attend- 

 ant upon insect oviposition by selection, may readily be explained under the 

 supposition that it is guided and controlled by the sense of smell" The twelve 

 l)ages that are given to further consideration of this theory, for it "can only 



