236 Bibliographical Notices. 



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 



The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Pub- 

 lished under the authority of the Secretary of State for India in 

 Council. Edited by W. T. Blanford.— J/oi/w. Vol. IV. By 

 Sir G. F. Hampson, Bart. 



The present volume completes Sir George Hampson's revision of 

 Indian Moths, the Tortrices, Tineina, and Plume-moths being alone 

 excepted. It comprises an account of the species which represent 

 the largo family Pyralidtc in India, Ceylon, and Burma ; and con- 

 cludes with an Appendix of addenda and corrigenda, bringing the 

 previous volumes up to,date. 



At oue time the family Pyralida3 was represented by a group of 

 so-called " mother-of-pearl " moths which constituted a mere fraction 

 of the supposed tribe Pyralites, whilst other groups, popularly known 

 as " grass-moths " or " honey-moths," were separated as families of 

 the tribe Crambites. Now the whole of these insects are very 

 properly merged into one family, all those previously recognized 

 families which had been distinguished by good structural characters 

 taking their places as subfamilies. Of the more typical Pyralidie 

 many are of remarkable beauty, whilst a great number are of con- 

 siderable interest on Mccount of the almost endless modifications of 

 their various organs, together with the development, sometimes on one 

 part and sometimes on another of their structure, of tufts or brushes 

 of hair, patches of thickened scales, or clear impressed patches, most 

 of these characters appearing to be confined chiefly, if not solely, to 

 the males. Now, although all these secondary sexual characters 

 are very entertaining to the student, they need examining with the 

 greatest attention, inasmuch as not a few of the species scarcely 

 differ one from the other excepting in the position or the colour of 

 some insignificant pencil of hair on a leg or wing ; and, seeing that 

 Sir George Harapsou has conscientiously and methodically studied 

 each family, genus, and species, not only in general structure, but 

 having a due regard to these peculiarities, it is a myst-ery how he 

 can have produced the present volume so quickly after the publica- 

 tion of Volume III. 



It must bo remembered that most of the Pyralida; are very small 

 moths of somewhat complex structure, and, owing to the delicate 

 texture of their wings, it is frequently by no means easy to examine 

 the neuration ; the use of benzine, to render the wing temporarily 

 transparent, often causes it to fold or curl over in such a manner 

 as to make a study of the veins impossible. If the species be a 

 common one, a s])ecimen (from no special locality) may be sacri- 

 ficed, the wings being cleared of scales and mounted ; but in the case 

 of the rarer species the most careful study through a platyscopic 

 lens is necessary. 



