144 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
material from which Miss Ormerod and her friends unravel the 
threads which make up the skein of knowledge. We are glad to 
observe that the Observations extend also to the weather during 
the time when the occurrences of particular insects were noted. 
The mere record of an insect being abundant, and damaging or 
otherwise, amounts to little. Unless some of the surrounding cir- 
cumstances are also given, we shall never gather the cause or rule 
for exceptional abundance, or be able to combat our enemies. 
Our greatest safety will probably be the expectance of a “‘ blight,” 
so that we may provide a preventative rather than a cure after its 
appearance. 
We are pleased to note that political economists, as well as euto- 
mologists, have taken notice of the importance of Miss Ormerod’s 
work. Several societies have referred to it, notably at the meeting 
on May 5th, 1880, of the Royal Agricultural Society of England. 
At that meeting the chairman referred to an application from 
Miss Ormerod for the co-operation of the Royal Agricultural 
Society in respect to the observation of insects injurious to farm 
crops. He further stated “‘that the committee hoped that the 
members of the council of the society would assist Miss Ormerod 
in her useful work.” So thorough and systematic is the work 
that we cannot forbear supplementing that gentleman’s request 
by one to our readers, to do likewise. Miss Ormerod provides the 
necessary forms free of expense, and our country readers would 
do well in distributing them amongst their neighbours who would 
be likely to collect and return the necessary information tor 
carrying on this interesting work.—J. T.C. 
The Geological Antiquity of Insects. By Hurserr Goss, F.L.S. 
London: John Van Voorst. 1880. 
In twelve papers upon Fossil Entomology, which are here 
collected and reprinted, Mr. Goss very fully and in a most lucid 
manner places his subject before his readers. These papers will 
repay the time spent in reading them, and we hope they are only 
an earnest of future work in a field where hitherto there have been 
but few labourers.—J. T. C. 
ErrRATUM.—LEntom. xiii. 112. Dr. Power's note referred to 
Dromius nigriventris, and not to A. consputus. 
