RECENT LITERATURE. 51 



Lowestoft in 1862 (Smith). — Not rare in the Brandon District (Perkins). 

 — One tine <? at Mill Heath, Eougham, 7-7-99 (Tuck). 



We should like to see similar lists of the insects of all our British 



counties. ,,, „ „ 



W. F. K. 



British Dratjonflies (Odonata). By W. J. Lucas, B.A., P.E.S. Pp. 1-350, 

 with figures and thirty-seven coloured plates. London : Upcott 

 Gill & Co. 1900. 31s. 6d. 



Neuropterists will rejoice at the appearance of this fine work, in 

 which the author, an enthusiastic field naturalist as well as an earnest 

 student, has succeeded in giving us a monograph of this group interest- 

 ing and useful as well to the tyro as to the more veteran odouatist. 



Prefixed by separate lists of the figures and plates, and a table of 

 contents, the book commences with a short general introduction, 

 followed by chapters on the life-history and classification, illustrated 

 by figures showing various stages of the life-history and a figure of 

 that singular hymenopterous parasite on the eggs, Anayrus incarnatus. 



The classification adopted runs, for the most part, on familiar 

 lines, though not absolutely following any previous system. The 

 author divides the Odonnta into two " superfamilies ; " the first, 

 called Anisopterides, or unequal-winged species, consisting of the 

 families (1) Libdlulidce, containing the subfamilies LibelliditKB and 

 Cordiiliinte, and (2) JExchnidcB, containing the subfamilies Gomphinie, 

 Cordulegasternm, and ^-EschiiincB ; the second superfamily, called Zygo- 

 pterides, consisting of the species with equal wings and a transversely 

 broad head, forming the single family AyrionidcB, containing the sub- 

 families Cdlofiteri/f/itia and AyrionincB. There are a few changes in 

 specific names, chiefly adopted from Kirby's ' Synonymic Catalogue of 

 the Odonata,' 1890, but those who deprecate change will be glad that 

 the author has not followed Mr. Kirby in every case. The specific 

 name of Amtx fonnosus, Lind., is replaced by A. imperator, Leach ; 

 lEschna borealis, Zett., by ^. C(£rulea, Strom. ; ^. rufescens, Lind., by 

 ^E. isosceleii, Miill. ; Lestes nympha, Selys, by L. diyas, Kirby ; and 

 Pyrrhosoma minium, Charp., by P. nymphula, Sulz. 



Chapters iv. and v. are devoted to the nymph and imago stages, and 

 from a scientific point of view are perhaps the most important in the 

 book. Too little attention has been paid by British entomologists 

 generally to the early stages of these insects, and the fine papers by 

 Mr. Cabot are unfortunately not so well-known as they should be. In 

 these chapters, which are copiously illustrated, the diagrams showing 

 the structure and the technical terms used in the book for the various 

 parts are most complete and useful, while the analytical tables should 

 enable any neuropterist to name any imago and even most of the nymphs. 



Chapter vi. deals with the genera and species at considerable length. 

 In each case the description is divided by subheadings, which greatly 

 assist the reader in finding any particular portion that may be wanted. 

 These commence with the synonymy, followed by the original descrip- 

 tion of the insect — the size ; a full description of both sexes, and, 

 when necessary, the immature condition ; the variation ; the nymph ; 

 the time of appearance ; the habits and the distribution. The de- 

 scriptions are ample and very clear, and the value of the work is 



