216 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



of Vespida, Ichneumonidce, and Chrysididcs taken by him recently in 

 the New Forest. — Mr. Ily. J. Turner, a specimen of Argynnis cydijype 

 (adipjjc) with silver points in several of tlie large black spots on the 

 under surface, a phase of aberration not previously known to him. — 

 Attention was called to the swarms of the three common species of 

 " Whites " which had appeared in many places recently. Polygonia 

 c-alhum, Celastrina argiolus (second brood), and Cosmia trap)czina 

 were also reported as abundant locally. — Hy. J. Turner (Hon. Ed. 

 of Proceed.). 



RECENT LITERATURE. 



Noctuelles et Geometres d'Europe. Premiere partie. Noctuelles. 

 Vol. ii, pp.244, plates 41. Par J. Culot. Geneve. 1913-1917. 



M. J. CuLOT, the artist and illustrator of the ' Lepidopterologie 

 Comparee ' has completed the second volume of his monumental 

 work, and the Noctuids now give place to the Geometers, though 

 we are promised supplements to complete the plates and descriptions 

 already issued. The plates of the first and second volumes are 

 81 in number, and 1458 species are figured therein with uniform 

 fidelity of detail unsurpassed by any one of those, ancient or modern, 

 who have depicted this group of Lepidoptera. M. Culot explains 

 quite frankly the object of his labours. It is to provide a reliable key 

 to the western pala^arctic species in their entirety whereby collectors 

 may readily determine the identity of their specimens. The author 

 disclaims all intention of dealing at adequate length with species 

 in the text. He sets out sufficient to indicate the individual 

 illustrated in each case, with a general account of its distribution 

 and more striking peculiarities. The tliorny problem of nomenclature 

 he ignores entirely, following for convenience sake alone the already 

 out of date Catalogue of Staudinger and Rebel ; while professing 

 preference for tlie classification adopted by Guenee in his " Species 

 g6nerales des Lepidopteres," 1851-52, discarded, we think somewhat 

 unnecessarily, in view of the numerous discoveries of the past sixty 

 years. In the two volumes already published close upon 1500 

 " Noctuelles " have been figured, and for those who have not access 

 to the National or one of the larger private collections of paliBarctic 

 lepidoptera, as distinguished from British, it is obviously a great 

 assistance to have the figures which M. Culot has hand-painted 

 with meticulous industry ; and to estimate the industry he and his 

 talented daughters display in this direction, it must be remembered 

 that this work appears simultaneously with M. Charles Oberthiir's 

 publications, also illustrated at the Villa -Les- Iris. We offer, 

 therefore, our sincere congratulations to the author-artist and his 

 coadjutors, and strongly advise those of our British lepidopterists 

 who hold that a good illustration is worth at least as much as a 

 copious text alone for identification purposes, to assist the publication 

 of the second part commenced in May last which is to deal with 

 Geometres as completely as these first two volumes of the first part 

 have dealt with Noctuelles. It is something to have achieved a 

 regular output during three years of war in which time the 

 cost of paper and printing has increased 40 per cent. ; while we 

 are promised a fuller text for the Geometers than was considered 

 necessary for the Noctuids. H. R.-B. 



