Bihliographical Notices. 335 



The cover states that the manuscript was complcterl in Jann'iry 

 of the present year, from which it may be inferred that the whole 

 of the botanic literature for 1901 is not inclurled. This is explicitly 

 admitted in a notice on pa2;o xiv, in which it is stated that the 

 second part of the volume will bo issued in a few months. 



Practically the whole of the literature published in Great Britain 

 and Ireland is included, but only a portion of some other countries. 

 Germany and the United States are well represented, France less 

 so, while Italy seems quite unrepresented. Japan, in spite of its 

 distance from the Central Bureau, is well to the front, a sign of the 

 energy of that enterprising nation. 



It is to be hoped that this endeavour to supply promptly a review 

 of the scientific literature of the world will be successful, and thus 

 supply the worker with information so much needed ; in that ca^e 

 the new venture of the Uoyal Society will earn the hearty thanks o-f 

 every working naturalist. 



TJie Fauna of British India, indwlinj Oei/7on and Banna. Fuh- 

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

 Council. Edited by W. T. Blanfokd. — Rhjnchota. " Vol. I. 

 {Heteroptera). By W. L. DisiAxr. London, &c., 19^32. 

 Pp. xxxviii, 438. 



This valuable series of works on the Fauna of British India continues, 

 to make steady progress, and we have now to record the appearance 

 of a volume dealing with the first three famiilies (Pentatomida?, 

 Coreidfc, and Berytidse) of the suborder Khynchota (or Hemiptera) 

 Heteroptera, ■which comprises the true bugs. Though not one of 

 the largest orders of insects, it includes a considerable number of 

 handsome and interesting forms, and many of the shield-bugs 

 (formerly placed in a distinct family, but now usually included in 

 the Pentatomida)) rival the most brilliant beetles in their rich 

 metallic hues ; and, indeed, many of them might easily be mistaken for 

 beetles at a first glance but for the antenme ; and for the scutellum, 

 which latter often overlaps and covers the wings and wing-cases, 

 and is not divided by a suture down the middle, as are the wing- 

 cases of beetles, which correspond in function and appearance to the 

 scutellum of the shield-bugs. 



The general scheme of the work is the same as in previous 

 volumes. 



Mr. Blanford's preface informs us of the progress of the present 

 series of works, from Avhich we gather that volumes on Ants by 

 Col. C. T, Bingliam, I.ongicorn Coleoptera by Mr. C. J, Gahan, and 

 another on Land-Mollusca (author not stated) may be expected in 

 the immediate future. Tlien follows a list of the principal works 

 quoted in the synonymy (pp. v-xi), the Systematic Index (pp. xiii- 

 xxii), the Introduction, the descriptive part of the work, and the 

 Alphabetical Index. 



