174 JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY AND ZOOLOGY 
A REVIEW OF AN OLD BOOK 
On THE VaRIATION OF Spectres, WitH Especian REFERENCE TO 
THE Insecta; FotLowEp py An Enquiry Into tHe Nature oF 
Genera, by T. Vernon Wollaston, M.A., F.L.S., London: John 
Van Voorst, Paternoster Row, 1856. Pp. VI+206. 
I believe that it is about as profitable, nowadays, to read a book 
which is a half a century or more old than many of those which 
are coming off the press. I can nearly say with someone else: 
‘“When I hear of a new book I go to my shelves and take down 
an old one.’’ This applies more especially to those on the phil- 
osophy of nature. The author of this book is well known for his 
work on the insects of the Madeira Islands, and his philosophy 
grew from this study of geographical distribution. The numer- 
ous examples are taken mostly from the Coleoptera, a few from 
the Mollusca. The index is an ideal one—modern ones could well 
be patterned after it—and gives some idea of the wealth of fact, 
observation and deduction to be found in the book,—a book just 
bristling with pertinent suggestions even for study for the 
modern naturalist. This book was published three years before 
the ‘‘Origin of Species.’’ He lays special emphasis on minute 
variations of size, sculpture, color, ete., when constant and corre- 
lated with differences of habitat. His discussion and proof of the 
influence of isolation and environment on the change of specific 
form is as clear as stated by more recent authors. All is sup- 
ported by his careful observations on the Coleoptera of the 
Madeiras, and material from other naturalists in other parts of 
the world, notably Darwin in South America, to whom he dedi- 
eates the book. His remarks in regard to color dimorphism of 
certain beetles, living and fossil, is very suggestive. ‘‘It is almost 
needless to add, that there are many elements to be considered, 
such as local atmospheric conditions, excess or deficiency of 
electricity, superabundant moisture, diminished light, and the 
geological composition of the soil, before we can hope either to 
appreciate zoological phenomena as a whole, or to reconcile the 
apparent inconsistencies which they are accustomed to display.”’ 
—p. 47, | 
