156 Miscellaneous. 



in a smaller size with blue paper covers which preceded them. 

 The present Catalogue is devoted to the very interesting family of 

 the Cicadidae, which includes the largest species of the suborder 

 Homoptera, but which is entirely unrepresented in the British 

 Islands, except by a single rare and local species, found chiefly in 

 the New Forest. 



The loud stridulation of many of the foreign species is a great 

 feature of forest life abroad ; and even in Greece the Cicada's 

 "song" has been famous from classical times onwards. 



Mr. Distant has long been one of the leading authorities on this 

 family, having published a ' Monograph of Oriental Cicadida3 ' as 

 long ago as 1889, and having also included it in the third volume on 

 Ilhynchota in the ' Pauna of British India,' published during the 

 present year. 



The Catalogue before us extends to 188 pages, exclu-ive of Index, 

 which fills 19 pages in triple columns. The number of genera 

 admitted is 179, and, besides the full synonymy, useful tables are 

 given of the genera in each division. 



The enormous increase in entomological literature renders the 

 frequeut publication of monographs and catalogues (which are as 

 grammars and dictionaries) indispensable to working entomologists ; 

 and we cannot have too many of them, provided they are written bv 

 men well up in their subject and are fairly complete and up to date. 



Opinions on details differ ; but there are three particulars in 

 which we think Mr. Distant's book might have been improved. 

 First, we think that the species under each genus should have been 

 numbered as well as the genera. Secondly, the species contained in 

 the Xatural History Museum should have been marked, and all 

 names the types of which are included in the series should have 

 been specially indicated. Thirdly, we find a list of undetermined 

 species al the end of the book ; but we should have preferred to see 

 all these, except those absolutelj' unrecognizably described without 

 figures, assigned to their probable places, if necessary with a querv. 

 In the case of Walker's species not in the Museum, the tvpes 

 perhaps still exist in other British collections. 



"We do not make these remarks as ciiticisms, but as suggestions, 

 and have no hesitation in recommending Mr. Distant's work as 

 absolutely indispensable to all students of the CicadidtTe. 



W. F. K. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



Locusts in Hungary. 



It is stated in a morning paper to-day that locusts are committing 

 ravages in some parts of Hungary. I should be much obliged to 

 some Hungarian entomologist if he would kindly send me specimens 

 for identification. W. F. Kirby. 



Natural History Museum, 



S. Kensington, London, 



July -27, liMJU. 



