Review. l43 



207 divisions in the table of genera of the Staphylinida , 171 in 

 the Curculionidce, &c. Happily the list is not crowded with 

 synonyms ; the few necessary citations are, we are told in the 

 preface, from a comparison of Gemminger and Harold's Catalogue 

 with that of Stein and Weise. This gives a good working basis, 

 but we can quite understand that Mr. Pascoe's views on the 

 vexed question of nomenclature Avill not find favour with extreme 

 "resurrectionists"; when a name has survived without inter- 

 ruption for the last fifty years or so, it has been adopted, Mr. 

 Pascoe having no sympathy with those who would resuscitate a 

 name "supposed to be used in the dark ages of systematic 

 Entomology." In this we think he has used a very wise 

 discretion. He further says — "For myself, I decline to be bound 

 by any absolute rule. When the name is barbarous, or absurd, 

 or the very opi^osite of the character it ought to express, I take 

 any better name, whatever its claims to priority may be" ; and 

 then in a few short paragraphs well illustrates the confusion 

 likely to arise from a strict adherence to the law of priority. 

 With regard to this list of species, we can but express the wish 

 that more minute research had been made into our periodical 

 literature. Of the fifty-nine species to be added to Dr. Sharp's 

 Catalogue (1871), enumerated by Dr. Power at Entom. xi. 62 — 69, 

 thirty- six are omitted ; four of these are admittedly accidental 

 occurrences, and perhaps one or two others may be introduced 

 species. Harpalus ohlonginsculus, Dej. (Ent. Mo. Mag. xv. 203), 

 and Latheticus oryzce, C. 0. Waterh. (Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 1880, 

 p. 148, and Entom. xiii. 210), an introduced but at least pai-tially 

 naturalised species, are also omitted. 



This 'Student's List' will be almost indispensable to the now 

 too-few workers at our British Coleoptera, and will be of great 

 service to the general entomologist. All are indebted to Mr. 

 Pascoe for its compilation. We trust that he, or some equally 

 competent specialist, may find the time to complete the work so 

 ably commenced, by supplying tables of the species. This by no 

 means light task has already been commenced by the Eev. T. 

 Blackburn in his 'Outline Descriptions of British Coleoptera,' 

 running through eight numbers of the third volume of the 

 * Scottish Naturalist' (1875 — 6) ; a reference would greatly help to 

 Eeitter's " Bestimmungs-Tabellen der eui'opaischen Coleoj^teren," 

 now appearing in the Vienna ' Verhandlungen.' — E. A. E. 



