TEN MINUTES' NOTICE OF 



"A Check List of North American Nociuidm, Part I. — by a. e. grote, a. ji., 



Containing Notes and Descriptions, Remarks on Structure and Geographical Distribution of the Group, and one Photographic Plate, 

 ilhistrating the Species from California and the East. The Species (790 1 are numbered for convenience of students. The list 

 will be mailed free on receipt of price." 



This tempting advertisement allured us into remitting the price, and in due time we were the recipient of a small octavo of 28 

 pages, title page, preface and index included therein, whicli, on opening, discovered to us that we hail paid our dollar for the intense 

 gratification of possessing twenty-eight pages full of Mr. Grote's name, printed in every imaginable variety of type, pica, long primer, 

 brevier, etc., etc. 



The names of the species are in double columns ; no citation of place of original description of species, or .statement of localitv 

 are given — the same old story over and over until the heart sickens at the low egotism which displays itself in everything this com- 

 piler does ; it is Habrosyne Scripta, Orate, not Thyatira Scripta, Oosse ; it is not Harrisimemna SexgiUtaia, Harris, but H.' Sexguttata, Orote, 

 nor Acronycta Clarescens, Guenee, but A. Clarescens, Orote, and so on. Such a tearing away of the old landmarks never was seen. 



In .some inst.ances the name of the true author of the species is placed below Sir. Grote's; in others he appropriates unbhishinglT 

 the proprietorship of another's species without giving the poor .author a chance between brackets, or even in small tvpe, as in the case of 

 Mamestra Imbrifera, boldly it stands out "M. Imbrifera, Orote, Aplecta hnb., Orote," no hint that Guenee was the avUhor of the species 

 (Noct. II, 76, 768), but a bare-faced piece of pirating. To make up for it he has, however, given Pachnohia Caniea as Giienee's species, 

 when it really was described by Thunberg (Mus. Nat. Acad. Upsal, p. 72, f. 1, 1788), before M. Guenee was Ijorn. "Hadena Lateritia, 

 (Hub.)" happens to be Hufnagel's species, published in 1767, when Hubuer was aljout si.x years of age; of this species Apami/ornm, 

 Oueti., is a synonym, though given as distinct by Mr. Grote. OlabeUas, Morrison, which he has placed with Amphipyra Pyraynidioidea 

 and P. Tragopoginis in the genus Pyrophila, is a true Agrolis, allied to A. Baja. 



The synonyms are by no means always given, though it is stated that they are. 



The Catocalie are not embraced at all in the present list. 



Some species are entirely omitted, others are so disguised that their own fathers would never suspicion them ; .and thus, with new 

 names for old genera, and verj' antique, obsolete genera — long disused, or scarce ever used — resurrected, the compilation can be of no 

 value to the beginner; and to the advanced student can serve but to e.xcite a smile at the wholesale way in which the fathers of our 

 science have been invited to step to the rear, whilst Mr. Grote and his friends stand forward in boldest relief, all dulv Latinized, as 

 Radcliffe-i, Harvey-ana, Harvey-i, Glenny-i, Hayes-i, Chandler-i, Day-i, Stewart-i, etc., etc., etc., including the officers and the whole 

 board of directors of the Buflalo Society, who will doubtless be grandly carried down to posterity on the wings of these unfortunate 

 little moths. 



The foot-notes on each p.age might be condensed into one, which would take in the full meaning of all, to tliis effect : That none 

 of Mr. Walker's, or Mr. Morrison's, or .anybody else's names can be identified from piiblislied data, except Mr. Grote's. 



"The "remarks on structure" and "geographical distribution" occupy two entire p.ages : three and one-fourth pages more are de- 

 voted to describing eight new noctuids and in showing the author's superiority as a scientist over Mr. Morrison and everybody else. 

 There are also a few more new genera ground out in these pages. 



The last IJ pages are taken up with the index of genera, where we seek in vain for the old familiar names ; all here is new ; 

 varnish and veneer glare on every page. 



The "photographic plate illustrating the species from California and the East," illustrates in a gloomy, shadowy sort of way ten 

 whole species by ten whole figures, (save the antenna> of some, ) of which the Hadena Badistriga and Agrotis Funeralis are recogniz.ible ; 

 two others, Acronycta Lithospila and Xylina Thaxteri may perhaps be ; the remaining six, like the rural artist's drawing of a horse, re- 

 quire the names to l)e written beneath them to insure identification. 



The whole thing is scarcely worth the time devoted to this review, but as the advertisement would lead us to expect quite a differ- 

 ent production, than that really furnished, we have given this cursory warning because the price demanded is entirely too big to pay for 

 trunk paper. 



Jan., 1876. 



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