148 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



instances is there any reference to the earlier stages of the species 

 dealt with, and where particulars are given of the larva and pupa the 

 majority of such details are taken from European, chiefly English, 

 sources. It would seem then that since the publication in 1880 of 

 ' Pterophoridce of California and Oregon ' by Lord Walsingham, these 

 interesting insects have not received, up to date, very much attention, 

 at least not to the extent of elucidating their life-histories. The 

 genera employed are as follows : — 1. Trichoptilus, Wlsm., three species; 

 2. Osayptilus, Zell.,four species; 3. Platyptilia, Hiibn., nineteen species, 

 including cosmodactyla, Hiibn., acanthodactyla, Hiibn., tesseradactyla, 

 Linn., and marginidactylus, ¥itch = bertrami, Roessl. ; 4. Alucita, Linn. 

 ( = Acvptilia, Auct.), three species; 5. Pterophorus, Geoff., twenty-five 

 species, several of which are usually referred to Lioptilus (Leioptilus), 

 Wallgr., and including monodactylus, Linn., which Walsingham places 

 in Pterophorus, Wallgr., and Meyrick (Handb. Brit. Lep.) includes 

 in Alucita, Linn.; 6. Stenoptilia, Hiibn. (= Mimeseoptilus, Wallgr.), 

 four species, one of which is pterodactyla , Linn. ; 7. Orneodes, Latr. 

 (= Alucita, Auct., nee. Linn.), one species, hexadactyla, Linn. The 

 plates compri.se figures of structural detail, chiefly of genitalia, and 

 add considerable value to the work. 



British Orthoptera (Earwigs, Grasshoppers, and Crickets). By Malcolm 

 Burr, F.Z.S., F.E.S., &c. With six plates by S. L. Mosley, 

 F.E.S. 8vo, 68 pp. Huddersfield : The Economic and Edu- 

 cational Museum. 1897. 

 Some of the species described and otherwise referred to in this 

 handy little book are among the most common objects of the country, 

 whilst others are included in the category of familiar household insects. 

 Others again, and these by far the greater number, are probably 

 almost, or quite, unknown to most people, whether interested in 

 entomology or not. For this reason, therefore, Mr. Burr's contri- 

 bution to our knowledge of British Orthoptera is exceedingly welcome, 

 and will most certainly be obtained and duly appreciated by those 

 who have been in ignorance, chiefly because they lacked the means of 

 readily identifying the insects of this order when met with. The book 

 before us will remove this difficulty, and we shall henceforth have 

 but little trouble in determining any earwig, grasshopper, locust, or 

 cricket that may present itself during our rambles through the open 

 country or even in the course of our business pursuits elsewhere. 

 The work bears undoubted evidence of having been most carefully 

 prepared, consequently it is to be regretted that those responsible for 

 it while passing through the press have allowed errors to creep in ; 

 apart from these blemishes, and as regards the text, we have nothing 

 but praise. We wish we could say as much for the plates, but 

 unfortunately they are not as satisfactory as they might be. It is 

 certainly a mistake in works of this kind to give coloured plates unless 

 they can be produced so as to show the tints proper to the insects 

 represented. Well executed black and white figures are perhaps not 

 so attractive in appearance, but they are much to be preferred to 

 poorly coloured plates. On the whole, however, we believe that the 

 book will supply a long felt want, and we heartily commend it. 



