4i6 NATURAL SCIENCE. June, 



is to be made intelligible to the majority of the readers of this book, 

 needs some sort of explanation. As it stands the pre-maxilla and 

 maxilla appear as if each represented a separate arch, though they are 

 described as forming part of the first arch. 



As touching the homologies of the spina pubica (pectineal process) 

 and pubis of birds, Mehnert's view will probably find more favour 

 than Miss Johnson's with the majority of those who have given the 

 matter their attention. In describing the tectrices or wing-coverts, it 

 is a pity that Wray's terms, Major, Median, Minor and Marginal 

 coverts were not adopted, instead of " Greater, Middle, and Lesser," 

 since in the plan the marginal coverts are left unnoticed. The 

 Striges and Accipitres should be included with those groups in which 

 the Median (Middle) and Minor (Lesser) coverts overlap proximally, 

 and not, as is done, with those having a distal overlap. These, 

 however, are not grave faults, and can easily be remedied should a 

 second edition be called for — which is more than probable. 



Nothing now remains but to offer, in the name of ornithologists 

 generally, our hearty congratulations and deep gratitude to Professor 

 Newton and his colleagues for this invaluable work, which will long 

 remain the guide, philosopher, and friend of all who seek its help. 



W. P. Pycraft. 



Butterflies. 



Die Schmetterlingsfauna von Hildesheim. Von A. Radcliffe Grote A.M. 

 Theil I. : Tagfalter. 8vo. pp. 44, pis. 4. (Mittheilungen aus dem Roemer- 

 Museum, Nr. 8.) Hildesheim, 1897. Price 6 marks. 



Under this modest title, suggesting a contribution to a local fauna, 

 Mr. Grote has given us a valuable study on the classification and 

 affinities of butterflies. Recently, various writers discussed in 

 Natural Science the question, "Are the Arthropoda a Natural 

 Group ? " and several authorities were found to support the view that 

 the animals now classed together as arthropods must be regarded as 

 having reached their present organisation by development along two 

 more or less parallel lines of descent. In the work before us, Mr. 

 Grote puts forward a similar opinion with regard to the butterflies, 

 which are perhaps the most familiar and most attractive of all arthro- 

 pods. From a study of the wing-neuration in the different families, 

 he concludes that while the Papilionidae and Parnasiidae have been 

 derived from forms related to the geometers and notodonts, the rest 

 of the butterflies are descended from Castnia-Vike ancestors. In the 

 Papilios and their allies, there is always to be found the lowest of the 

 sub-median nervures running from the root of the forewing to a point 

 a short distance along the inner margin, while the middle sub-median 

 nervure is always absent. In the rest of the butterflies, on the con- 

 trary, the lowest sub-median is always wanting, while the middle one 

 is generally present. The principal types of neuration to be found 

 among the butterflies are well shown in the four plates accompanying 

 Mr. Grote's work. These plates are indeed entirely devoted to 

 illustrations of wing-neuration. 



It may be doubted whether Mr. Grote's radical division of the 

 butterflies, founded as it is only on the arrangement of the wing- 

 nervures, will meet with general acceptance among lepidopterists. 

 In the search for the affinities of animal groups, weight must be given 

 to a combination of characters, and in a dual division of the butter- 

 flies from any other point of view, the Hesperiida^, and not the 



