Miscellaneous. 407 
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE. 
L’Evolution Sexuelle dans VEspéece humaine. Par le Dr. Henri 
Stcarp, Doyen de la Faculté des Sciences de Lyon. Avec 94 
figures intercalées dans le texte. Paris: Libraire F. B, Baillicre 
et Fils, 1892. 
Tus little yolume contains much information relating to the deve- 
lopment of animals and the peculiarities of their life-history in all 
its main outlines, beginning with the asexual forms—partheno- 
genesis establishing a ‘‘ passage” to the sexual. Sexual evolution 
in the Darwinian sense—that is, from the variability where the cause 
is unknown, gradually developed by natural selection—finds little or 
no place in it, notwithstanding its title. But we have numerous 
facts respecting secondary characters, amounting in some species te 
dimorphism. Sexual selection, it is contended, tends to develop 
such characters, for, as the greatest dissimilarity favours progress, 
whatever has the effect of diminishing it ‘is in opposition to the 
teaching (données) of biology.” ‘‘ Many points remain obscure,” 
our author admits: for instance, among insects the occurrence of 
apterous females in species closely allied to others where the sexes 
are scarcely distinguishable. 
Perhaps the most valuable part of the work is the account of the 
development of the embryo, including a notice of the once hotly- 
contested gastreea-theory. ‘‘ Differentiation of the sexes” and ‘of 
secondary sexual characters in general” follow. The seventh 
chapter applies to man only—his anatomy and “ mental constitu- 
tion.” The concluding chapter treats of the various races of 
mankind, illustrated by a number of characteristic portraits, and 
giving many curious details: the love of ernamentation seems 
predominant among the males of savages. 
Briefly, the work is a useful summary, a few still-disputed points 
excepted, of the present condition of our knowledge, 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
On the Genus Polychrysia of Hiibner (a Group of Plustid Moths). 
By Arruur G. Burter, F.LS., F.ZS., &c. 
In his ‘ Verzeichniss bekannter Schmettlinge,’ at p. 251, Hubner 
founded a genus Polychrysia on the single European species P. 
moneta. The characters given for his genus were, as usual, value- 
less; but the genus itself is a good one and must be adopted. It 
is synonymous with the genus Deva of American authors and of 
Walker’s ‘Supplement,’ but has nothing to do with the typical 
species of that author's genus. 
