

Vol. II, No. 1.] INSECT LIFE. [July, I8S9. 



SPECIAL NOTES. 



With this number we commeQce the second volume of Insect Life. 

 The hist number was somewhat dehiyed by the preparation of the ex- 

 tensive indices, which, however, we feel will greatly increase the value 

 of volume I. Largely through the kindness of the authorities of the 

 Government Printing Office we were able to print the numbers during 

 the past year more regularly and promptly than we had anticipated, 

 and we hope to continue tbis regularity through the coming volume. 

 As stated iu the salutatory to the first volume, however, the force of 

 the Division of Eutomology is so actively engaged during the larger 

 part of the year with field work and experimentation that some lack of 

 promptness in ijublication can not but ensue. The i)ublication of the 

 bulletin met with even more favor than we had hoped at the start, 

 and almost no adverse comments have reached our eye. The only criti- 

 cism which we have noticed was published in the review column of the 

 Atlantic 2IontJily, in which slight exception was taken to the idea of 

 the publication of a magazine by the Government, which by its free 

 distribution would compete on unMrly advantageous terms with pri- 

 vate enterprises. We have no comment to make except that the va- 

 rious branches of the Government are constantly ijublishing bulletins, 

 many of which differ but slightly in character from this, so that if the 

 title-page were only slightly changed. Insect Life would escape all 

 criticism of this kind. We trust that the interest of our readers will 

 continue, and that the tendency which Insect Life has so far shown, 

 to increase the correspondence, and therefore the range of benefit of 

 the Division of Eutomology, will also continue. 



South African Insects. — That indefatigable worker, Miss Eleauor A. 

 Ormerod, has just brought out privately a little work entitled "Notes 

 and Descriptions of a Few Injurious Farm and Fruit Insects of South 

 Africa." The book is published by Simpkin, Marshall & Co., of Lon- 

 don, and the price is 2s. ijd. The descriptions and identifications of th^ 



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