yan. 20, 1876] 



NATURE 3 



223 



and is apparently attached throughout, although its base 

 is covered a little by the crushed body ; the right leg lies 

 below both the wings, and is apparently partially detached, 

 though but slightly, from the coxae ; the tibio-tarsal arti- 

 culation can be distinguished, but not the tarsal joints. 

 The wings are bent over downward in a position the 

 reverse of that of repose. The fore- wing covers the hind- 

 wing, as in nature, but to such an extent as to conceal 

 the greater part of it ; the guttered portion of the inner 

 margin of the hind-wings is almost fully expanded, but 

 apparently has a fold next the submedian nervure. The 

 fringe of the fore-wing seems to be gone, but that of the 

 hind-wing is preserved nearly throughout. Head, fore 

 and middle legs, wings of the right side, and abdomen are 

 wholly wanting. 



" The upper surface of the wing is, therefore, the part 

 which attracts most attention." 



The above description throws an entirely new light 

 upon this fossil, and is exceedingly interesting. 



Lethites reynesii, another Eocene species, is placed 

 next to the genus Lethe ; the latter comes close to Mg/a- 

 nitis in Westwood and Hewitson's " Genera of Diurnal 

 Lepidoptera," a fact which Mr. Scudder considers of 

 some interest ; the two groups, however, are widely sepa- 

 rated in some recent clzissifications, in which the struc- 

 tural relations of the genera of Satyrince have received 

 special attention. 



The Tertiaries of Radoboj afford another remarkable 

 fossil {Myloihrites pluto) which Mr. Scudder, differing 

 widely from all previous writers, refers, on we think insuf- 

 ficient grounds, to the sub- family PicrincB, inasmuch as 

 the spots on the wings are not of the same simple cha- 

 racter as those oi Hebomoia and allies, but are true ocelli, 

 the zones of which are clearly visible even in the drawing 

 on Plate II. (compare Figs. 14 and 17). The portion of 

 a hind wing (Fig. 15) has been also somewhat rashly 

 referred to Mylot/irites, its venation being markedly dif- 

 ferent, and agreeing more nearly with the Eastern genus 

 Terinos than with any other group known to us. 



Mr. Scudder seems to have indicated the correct posi- 

 tion of Collates proserplna and Pontia Freyerl. In the 

 case of the former, his task, owing to the obscure cha- 

 racter of the original, must, as he says, have been a 

 difficult one. 



Spots on the wings, such as are represented on Plate 11.^ 

 Fig. 5, are rarely to be met with among the Plcritia:, but 

 do occur in some males of the genus Appias. 



It is probable that Mr. Scudder is again correct with 

 regard to the position of Thaites rianlnlana, although the 

 general pattern, form of the wings, and large abdomen 

 are all far more like Dynastor or Castnla. 



Thanaites vetula and Pamphllltes abdlta have mani- 

 festly the proper places assigned to them, and great credit 

 is due to the author for the labour which he has expended 

 in their determination. 



Mr. Scuddefs conjectures respecting the " food-plants 

 of Tertiary Caterpillars " are exceedingly interesting, as 

 also his remarks on " the present distribution of Butter, 

 flies most nearly allied to fossil species." Asiatic forms 

 ha\-ing the facie s of Pamphllltes abdlta are not, however, 

 as he supposes, unknown ; the Urblcola; of East India 

 are perhaps not as yet largely represented in American 

 collections. 



In his " Notice of Insects which have been erroneously 

 referred in recent times [to Butterflies," Mr. Scudder 



dwells upon the discussion between himself and Mr. 

 Butler respecting Palaotitina oolilca, and gives fac- 

 similes of that author's illustrations, with an additional 

 sketch representing his own view of the characters of the 

 species. From a comparison of the five illustrations it is 

 difficult to conclude that Mr. Scudder has proved his 

 case. The venation, as given by him, not only does not 

 agree with that of any genus of Lepidoptera, but is entirely 

 at variance with what is found in any insect. To associate it 

 with the Clcadlnos is impossible, seeing that these insects 

 have irregular neuration, whereas Scudders figtire fur- 

 nishes us with a Lepidopteroid type having anomalous 

 cross-veins and an incomprehensible discoidal cell. 



The assertion that " none of the median nor any of the 

 inferior subcostal nervules are ever branched certainly 

 requires modification ; the genus Amathusla has a well- 

 marked spur on the third median branch, which con- 

 veys the impression of a fourth median nervule, whilst 

 the genus Moschojieura emits its upper discoidal from 

 the inferior margin of the subcostal.* 



Mr. Scudder, in America, is surely a little too hard 

 upon his entomological brethren on this side of the 

 Atlantic, when he speaks of the new Linnasan room at 

 Burlington House in which they held their meeting as 

 " a poorly lighted hall." See p. 95. 



We cannot conclude without expressing our admiration 

 of the beautifully executed plates which accompany the 

 letterpress. 



y BURCHETT'S ''PRACTICAL PLANE 



GEOMETRY" 



Practical Plafie Geometry. By E. S. Burchett (London 



and Glasgow : W. Collins, Sons, and Co., 1876.) 



THIS is a carefully got-up and good work on the sub- 

 ject of which it treats. After the usual preliminary 

 matter on definitions and the use of instruments are given 

 333 problems. This may appear to be too large a number 

 for school teaching, but the work is principally intended 

 for students in Art schools. For school purposes, and 

 we have more than once recently pointed out that the 

 subject is taught as affording a good initiation to the 

 study of pure geometry, we should recommend the master 

 to make a selection such as he thinks adapted to the 

 attainments of his pupils or fitted to the end he has in 

 view in taking up the study. Plates LII. to LXIII. are 

 devoted to Applied Geometry (such as curves of mould- 

 ings, Gothic tracery, construction of scales, &c.). An 

 Appendix (Plates LXIV. to LXXI.) treats of the Elements 

 of Orthographic Projection. This last portion we are 

 told is given expressly to meet the reqmrements of the 

 more extended range of the Second Grade Examination 

 of the present day. We have verified most of the con- 

 structions, which are clearly given, and in the main admit 

 of demonstration on pure geometric principles. Some 

 relating to the construction of polygons, three on the 

 contact of circles, and some few relating to the areas of 

 circles, are founded on approximative methods. The 

 arrangement of the text and of the plates appears to us 

 to be a good one. The book must be used in a position 

 at right angles to the usual one, and then the text is on 



* See Westwood's " Oriental Entomologj ," p. 40, and compare " Trans. 

 Ent. Soc," 1870, p. 486 ; also " Cistula Entomologica," i. p. 54. 



