l895 . SOME NEW BOOKS. 203 



tions of travellers is also given; these are often of considerable 

 interest, and go far to make the subject inviting to the general reader, 

 as may be seen from Mr. Ridley's paper now appearing in our pages. 

 A somewhat larger proportionate space is devoted to the Simiidae than 

 to the other groups of monkeys, by reason of their being the most 

 highly-organised and nearest to man in structure ; and from the 

 generalities appended to the several species included in the family 

 we recognise, as might be expected, that they are among the best- 

 studied members of the whole group. 



Respecting the range in time of the extinct Anthropoidea, the 

 geographical evidence goes to show that they appeared later on the 

 scene than did the Lemuroidea. In South America, the Santa Cruz 

 beds of Patagonia (Upper Eocene or Oligocene) have yielded remains, 

 but in the Old World undoubted monkeys do not appear until the 

 Miocene period. In Pliocene times, existing genera are represented 

 by numerous species. A molar tooth of a form said to be identical 

 with the Orang-Utan {Simla satyrus) is recorded from the Pliocene beds 

 of the Sivalik hills, and this is of considerable interest in connection 

 with the flint flake from Burma, of Miocene or early Pliocene age, 

 illustrated in Natural Science for November, 1894 (P- 34-6) ; for, if 

 correct, it seems to show that the higher Primates were already differ- 

 entiated in those early times. 



The volumes close with an attempt to show the geographical 

 distribution of the group, limited, of course, by the difficulties to which 

 we have alluded in our opening paragraph. In illustration of this dis- 

 tribution eight rough but useful key-maps are given, and one can 

 obtain at a glance a good general notion of the monkey world. 



With regard to the twenty-nine coloured plates, we are tempted 

 at first to rail at the publishers for providing such chalky pictures ; 

 but on reflection, and considering the cheapness of the volumes, we 

 come to regard the pictures in a more favourable light. It may be 

 well, nevertheless, to remind Messrs. Allen & Company of the old 

 proverb about the " ha'porth of tar." But in spite of these minor 

 defects we have the message of the monkey people, as Dr. Forbes 

 understands it, and to him, to the publisher, to Dr. Bowdler Sharpe, 

 and to the public, we offer our congratulations on the issue of these 

 volumes. 



The Young Collector. 



Butterflies and Moths (British). By W. Furneaux, F.R.G.S. With 12 coloured 

 plates and numerous illustrations in the text. Pp. xiv. and 355. London : 

 Longmans, Green and Co., 1894. Price 10s. 6d. nett. 



We notice with joy, but without understanding, the present pub- 

 lishing " boom " in natural history. Volumes of scientific series lie 

 on every library table, appear in every publisher's catalogue. Many 

 are designed for a scientific public ; more for a general public. Of 

 the latter order is the book before us, and we can praise it without 

 reserve. The illustrations, even the coloured ones, are conspicuously 

 good. Nearly every English butterfly, and not a few of the moths 

 and microlepidoptera, are figured. 



The first sixty pages are devoted to a general account of the 

 habits, structure, and classification of butterflies and moths. This 

 part is clear, intelligent, and interesting. The only suggestion we 

 should like to make is that a compound microscope is unnecessary for 

 any of the details that Mr. Furneaux mentions. A first-rate platy- 

 scopic hand-lens is much more convenient, and the young naturalist 



