26 



had been so fortunate as to observe the development of the male of that strange insect, 

 which he described in his ' Monographia Apum Angliae ' under the name of Stylops 

 Melittae. He had subsequently become acquainted with Rossi's description of the 

 allied Xenos Vesparum, and had also received specimens of an American species of 

 Xenos from Professor Peck. With these materials, aided by the inimitable pencil 

 and microscope of F. Bauer, Mr. Kirby arrived at the conclusion, by a train of argu- 

 ment of the most instructive nature, that these insects constitute a distinct order, of 

 which he laid down the characters derived from a most scrutinizing examination of 

 every part of the insect, as well as a consideration of its preparatory states, so far as 

 he was at that time acquainted with them. He also characterized in detail, the two 

 genera Stylops and Xenos, the latter of which contained two species, X. Eossii (X. 

 Vesparum, Rossi), and X. Peckii, the latter reared from Polistes fuscata, Fabr. Mr. 

 Kirby likewise describes a new species of genuine Vespa (V. concolor), in which he 

 had found the exuvias of a species of Xenos. It is greatly to be regretted that Mr. 

 Kirby had not obtained a knowledge of the sexual distinctions of the Strepsiptera, and 

 that Mr. Bauer's drawing, representing the pseudelytra, attached to the base of the 

 fore legs, led Mr. Kirby, and subsequently other authors, into incorrect ideas of the 

 relations of these curious appendages. 



13. 'Addendum to Strepsiptera.' Linn. Trans, xi. pp. 233, 234. Read February 



16th, 1813. 



In this short paper, Mr. Kirby describes a new British species belonging to the 

 order which he names Stylops tenuicornis (subsequently described by Mr. Curtis, under 

 the name of Elenchus Walkerii), and likewise alludes to Frisch having been the first 

 author, who (on the testimony of Latreille) is said to have used the reticulation of the 

 wings for generic and secondary characters. 



14. ' An Introduction to Entomology, or Elements of the Natural History of In- 



sects, with Plates.' By W. Kirby and W.Spence. 4vols.,8vo. London, 

 1815, &c. 



The object of the authors in planning this work, was to supply an elementary work 

 upon the subject of insects fuller and more complete than Curtis's translation of the 

 ' Fundamenta Entomologiae,' and Yeat's ' Institutions of Entomology,' and less expen- 

 sive than Barbut's ' Genera Insectorum,' works now almost forgotten, but which were 

 then the only introductory treatises published in this country. In order to render 

 their work as instructive and entertaining as possible, they devoted the first two 

 volumes to the interesting discoveries of Reaumur, De Geer, Bonnet, Lyonet, the 

 Hubers, &c, as well as their own individual observations, arranged under distinct 

 heads, a great portion of which were unknown to the English reader, no other si- 

 milar generalization being then extant, except a slight attempt in Smellie's ' Philoso- 

 phy of Natural History,' and a confessedly imperfect one in Latreille's ' Histoire 

 naturelle des Crustaces et des Insectes.' 



It is almost needless to give any detailed sketch of a work so well known as the 

 one before us, which has passed through six English editions. The following sum- 

 mary will suffice. 



Vol. I. — Objections to the Study of Entomology answered ; Metamorphosis of In- 

 sects ; Injuries caused by insects to man, animals, plants, furniture, clothes, 

 &c. ; Benefits derived from insects ; Affection of insects for their young ; 



