374 NATURAL SCIENCE [December 
fibres derived from the wood or bast tissue respectively, but whole 
stems, roots or leaves, or split and shredded leaves, as well as ex- 
ternal hair-like growths, such as cotton, and also a class of “ pseudo- 
fibres.” The last comprises certain mosses, like Sphagnum, used for 
packing, seaweed wrought into lines or cordage, and the mycelium 
of certain fungi. The book will be a welcome addition to the 
libraries of individuals and institutions interested in economic 
botany. To enhance the value of future editions, the author 
requests notes or further information on any fibre plants, and 
especially photographs of foreign species. 
WING NEURATION IN THE LEPIDOPTERA 
Mr A. RApDcLIFFE GROTE has been insisting both in German (Ul, 
Wochenschr. f. Entomologie, band II., no. 28), and in English (Zntom. 
Record, vol. ix., no. 10) on the advantage of employing photography 
in the illustration of the wing-nervures of moths and butterflies, as 
by this means only can absolute accuracy be ensured. British 
entomologists will be specially interested by Mr Grote’s severe 
strictures on Mr Meyrick’s descriptions and drawings of wing- 
neuration in his revision of the Geometridae (7rans. Ent. Soc., 1892) 
and his recent “ Handbook of British Lepidoptera.” Comparison of 
Mr Meyrick’s figures with the photographs have led Mr Grote to the 
conclusion that in the former “ the distances, relative direction, and 
at times the point of origin are frequently all wrong. Worse than 
this, Mr Meyrick supplies nervures which have no existence .. . 
and omits nervures . . . which are distinct in nature.” We await 
with interest Mr Meyrick’s reply to this criticism. 
