360 



PSYCHE. 



[June, igo2 



heat and cold. To mention only one 

 instance, a layer of i m. of stones and 

 other hard material had to be pene- 

 trated, before reaching the real nest of 

 F. ruhicunda, which we examined care- 

 fully, and it was only at that depth in 

 a sandy layer that the ants were found 

 in greater abundance. The case was 

 similar in nests of F. exsecfoides, F. dako- 

 tensis and others. 



Thus Prof. Forel's statement men- 

 tioned above has been found applicable 

 also to this region. Besides it seems to 

 be evident that the structure of more 

 extensive domes is rendered useless by 

 the extreme range of temperature vary- 

 ing from — 20° F. to -I- 110° F. (resp. 

 -t- 150° F. in the sun). For the develop- 

 ment of the offspring the heat is suffi- 

 cient even without domes, and during 

 the warmest and coldest months such a 

 dome would be uninhabitable. The 

 theory that the nests of ants "abound 

 above all on hill-slopes facing the east" 

 (1. c. p. 232) has not been confirmed 

 by my experience. For here ant-hills 

 abound on eastern and western slopes 

 alike. 



NOTES. GALLS. — The large number of 

 excellent photographic plates make Connold's 

 British vegetable galls (New York : E. P. 

 Dutton & Co., 1902, xii, 312 pp., 13 plates. 



27 text figures) a work o£ considerable scienti- 

 fic interest. With their aid the abnormalities 

 classified as galls, with the exception of those 

 found on oak, that are common in Great 

 Britain can be determined, and the identity 

 or affinity of the British galls to those of 

 North America especially commends the 

 book to American students. 



The text, in addition to faulty arrange- 

 ment, contain.s many obscure and inaccurate 

 stateinents. 



GENERA INSECTORUM. — The scope of this 

 work, which is due to the enterprise of Wyts- 

 man of Brussels, is shown by the first and 

 second fascicules issued soine months ago. 

 In the first fascicule R^gimbart deals with the 

 Gyrinidae one of the most sharply defined 

 families of the Coleoptera; he recognizes 

 three tribes, nine genera, and 363 species. 

 There are brief stateinents regarding the dis- 

 tribution, habitat, and characters of the 

 family; analytical tables for the separation 

 of the tribes and genera with more detailed 

 characterization of the genera and lists of 

 the species with the distribution of each. 

 The plate, which is excellent, gives many 

 structural details. 



In the second fascicule Kieffer considers 

 the Evaniidae, another easily distinguished 

 family ; the handling is similar to that of 

 R^gimbart though more open to criticism 

 in some minor details ; three subfamilies, 

 nine genera, and 269 species are recognized. 



Foeninae, tiom. nov. is not tenable, Foenus 

 Fab. (1798) being a synonym of Gasteruption 

 Latr. (1796). Ashmead State Board of Agric, 

 U. S. A. Catal. Ins. is not a very clear citation 

 for Smith's List of New Jersey insects. 



A. SMITH & SONS, 146-148 WILLIAM ST., New York. 



IIASl FACTVRERS A.\D IJIPORTF.KS OF 



GOODS FOR ENTOMOLOGISTS, 



Klaeger and Carlsbad Insect Pins, Setting 



Boards, Folding Nets, Locality and 

 Special Labels, Forceps, Sheet Cork, Etc. 

 Other articles are being added, Send for List. 



