248 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



RECENT LITERATURE. 



Economic. — -Mr. W. J. Lucas has written the first entomological 

 leaflet in the " Nature-Knowledge " series, issued by the Agricultural 

 Education Committee. It deals with the Lace-wing fly (Chri/sopa 

 perla), and is briglitly and simply written ; it should prove a valuable 

 inducement to children for the acquisition of "nature-knowledge." 

 ("Lace-wing or Golden-eye." "Nature-Knowledge" Leaflets, no. 9. 

 3 pp. ; 3 figs. [No date.] ) 



Bhyncliota. — Herbert Osboen notes an interesting case of mimicry 

 presented by the South African Tetigoniid Cephalelus infumatus, a 

 species described some seventy years ago. The insect "is a little 

 over half an inch long, of a brown colour, and has a remarkably pro- 

 longed head, which anteriorly tapers out into a very long spine. This 

 prolonged head is almost one half the total length of the insect. The 

 body is slender, and the wings terminate posteriorly, somewhat abruptly, 

 but in such a manner that they fit very perfectly upon the stem of the 

 plant which is its ordinary food. The protective feature comes in from 

 the aborted leaf-sheaths on the stem of the plant, forming sharp spines 

 occurring at intervals along the length of the stem, and these are 

 perfectly reproduced in the form and colour of the insect. So close 

 is the resemblance that, when a number of the spines are mounted 

 separately alongside of the insects, it is very difticult to distinguish 

 them without the most careful scrutiny." Cephalelus " lives on the 

 rush Buvea tectorum, Masters, the spines of which are mimicked." 

 (1902: 'Psyche,' p, 327.) 



Neuroptem. — V. L. Kellogg discusses the phylogeny of the Mallo- 

 phaga, and calls attention to an earlier paper published by him in 1896 

 ("New Mallophaga, &c.," inContrib. to Biol, from Hopkins Seaside 

 Lab., vii. ; 117 pp., 14 Plates). From evidence based upon the struc- 

 ture, principally of the mouth-parts and, in a less degree, of the internal 

 organs, the author concludes that the Mallophaga are degenerate 

 Psocidas, the wingless Atropos forming an important link. (1902 : 

 'Psyche,' ix., pp. 339-43, " Are the Mallophaga degenerate Psocids ? ") 



G. W. K. 



OBITUARY. 



Mr. J. B. Williamson died at Slough on June 21st last, at the 

 age of seventy-four years. The present writer had known him for 

 over ten years, and esteemed his friendship very highly. He Avas 

 by profession an artist, and formerly a frequent exhibitor in the 

 Academy, principally in water-colour. He was first led to take up 

 entomology on account of the assistance the wing-colouring of the 

 Lepidoptera gave him in the study of colour and in designing. He 

 formed a very fine collection of British Lepidoptera, but owing to 

 failing health he had been unable for some years to keep in touch with 

 other entomologists, though there are still many readers of the ' Ento- 

 mologist' who will remember him. — E. S. C. 



