Bibliographical Notices. 417 



of a single tribe or subfamily of Sawflies, namely tbe Nematina, 

 including the great genus Nematus and its allies. This group, 

 although not so extensive as that of the Tenthrcdina, which were 

 treated of in the first volume, is tbe one which presents the greatest 

 difficulties for the descriptive entomologist, as it includes the great 

 genus Nematus, of which Mr. Cameron here records 107 British 

 species, many of which are closely allied — in fact so closely that, as 

 in the case of the Lepidoptera, it seems to be necessary in some 

 case3 to rear the species, the larvae presenting decided differences 

 when those between the perfect insects are obscure. The whole 

 number of British species of the group is only 132. 



In an Appendix Mr. Cameron indicates certain species to be added 

 to genera treated of in his first volume, and also offers some important 

 remarks upon the subject of parthenogenesis as occurring among the 

 Sawflies, as to which he says, " there seems to be no doubt that the 

 phenomenon is quite common." 



In the matter of illustrations we are even more liberally dealt 

 with now than in the preceding volume ; we have here no fewer 

 than twenty-seven plates, and of these thirteen furnish us with 

 coloured representations of the insects and their larvae, the remainder, 

 with one exception, being occupied by outline figures of the saws of 

 different species. The adoption of colour in the representations of 

 the perfect Sawflies will be an immense advantage to students, and 

 the figures, drawn by Mr. Purkiss and Mr. Edgar Smith, are worthy 

 of all praise. The only difficulty is to know where the plates are to 

 come from to illustrate two more volumes : the figures in those now 

 published carry us quite to the end of the Securiferous Hymenoptera, 

 so that the available material for the illustration of the remainder 

 of the work consists almost wholly of the figures relating to the 

 Cynipidae. It is to be regretted that the plates could not have been 

 kept throughout to the same volumes which contain the text they 

 illustrate. This, however, is but a minor detail, and one which 

 detracts but little from the value of Mr. Cameron's contributions to 

 the natural history of the Tenthredinidae, a work the completion of 

 which will be most welcome. British entomologists, using the term 

 in the widest sense, are deeply indebted to the Bay Society for pro- 

 viding them with such books as Mr. Buckton's on the Aphides, Mr. 

 Michael's on the Oribatida?, and the present work. 



Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmoreland Association for 

 the Advancement of Literature and Science. No. IX. 1883-84. 

 Edited by J. Gr. Goodchild. Svo. Carlisle : G. and T. Coward. 



1885. 



The ninth volume of this valuable local publication, which has just 

 reached us, contains perhaps rather fewer papers relating to natural- 

 history subjects than its predecessor, which we noticed a twelvemonth 

 ago ; but its contents will be of much interest to residents in West- 



