November i, 1894] 



NATURE 



Erebia are far more sparingly represented in China than 

 in Europe ; but Lethe is far better represented in China 

 than in India, and Ypihima at least as well. The 

 tropical subfamilies Morplunce and Acrceince are also 

 represented in China, the first by four species, one of 

 which, Stichophtlialma howqtta, is as large and handsome 

 as a South American Morpho, and the other by one of 

 the two Indian species, Pareba vesta, which extends its 

 range to several parts of South-Western China. In 

 Japan and the extreme east of China, we find one or 

 two species belonging to peculiarly Nearctic forms, such 

 as AntJtocIiaris scoiyinus, for example. 



In certain large genera, such as Zepkyriis, Thecla, and 

 Papilio, the number of Chinese species far e.xceeds those 

 known to occur in Europe ; but in the case of Papilio, at 

 least, this is mainly due to the large number of properly 

 Indian species which extend their range to China. 



It is among the Papilionida and Pieridcz that we 

 find some of the most interesting of the Chinese and 

 Central Asian forms, especially those allied to Pa-nassius, 

 Aporia, and Colias. There are only about thirteen well- 

 marked genera of Papilionida, except the hetero- 

 geneous genus Papilio itself ; and eight of these are 

 represented in Mr. Leech's district, the other five being 

 Hypermnesira (South-West Asia), Eurycus (Australia), 

 Euryades (South America), Thais (South Europe), and 

 Bhutaiiitis (Bootan). The headquarters of Partiassius, 

 however, are perhaps in the mountainous districts rather 

 beyond the range of the present work, as Mr. Leech 

 enumerates only eight species, which seems to us to be 

 rather a small number. Many curious genera allied to 

 Aporia are also found in the south-western districts 

 of China bordering on Thibet, such as Mesapia, 

 Davidina, &c., most of which bear a general resem- 

 blance to our Green-veined White {Pieris napi). Of 

 these, Oberthiir's genus Davidina is the most curious, as 

 the wing-cells are divided by longitudinal nervures, a 

 characteristic which we do not meet with in any other 

 butterfly. Only four species of Colias are enumerated, 

 the headquarters of this genus also being apparently 

 rather beyond Mr. Leech's limits. He has, however, 

 sunk all the Japanese forms described as distinct by 

 various authors, as varieties of C. hyale, Fabr. ; but this 

 is one of those questions which will never be disposed 

 of to the satisfaction of entomologists without long and 

 careful breeding of the supposed varieties or species. 

 Some authors, however, have certainly gone too far in 

 regarding mere varieties of butterflies as entitled to 

 specific rank ; while others have erred more seriously in 

 the opposite direction, by placing together perfectly dis- 

 tinct species as varieties. It frequently happens that 

 species which subsequently prove to possess very im- 

 portant distinctive characters, have a much greater 

 superficial resemblance to others than obtains between 

 seasonal or otherwise dimorphic forms of insects which 

 belong indubitably to the same species. But if a good 

 species is sunk as a synonym or a variety, the next 

 entomologist who considers it to be distinct will very 

 likely overlook the previous notices, and describe it as 

 new. We are constantly discovering that names which 

 stand as synonyms in our books really belong to insects 

 which have since been described as new under other 

 names. 



NO. 1305, VOL. 51] 



In taking leave of this extremely interesting book, we 

 must congratulate Mr. Leech on having successfully 

 brought to a conclusion a work which will hold a worthy 

 place among the many valuable local butterfly faunas 

 which have been published in England, of recent ysars, 

 by Godman and Salvin, Moore, Trimen, Distant, 

 and others. ^V • F. K. 



OUR BOOK SHELF. 



Rainmaking and Sunshine. By John CoUinson. 



(London : Swan Sonnenschein and Co., 1S94.) 

 The only object there can possibly be in giving a 

 notice of this book is to warn intending purchasers of its 

 contents, lest they be deceived by the title, and hope to 

 find some account, more or less interesting, of the experi- 

 ments that were made in America, a short tmie back, with 

 the view of procuring a rainfall. This book has not even 

 that recommendation. One has not much patience with 

 weather prophets, who base their assertions on conjunc- 

 tions of the planets, or some equally occult and absurd 

 methods; but Mr. Collinson is in advance of all such 

 vendors of nostrums. Not for him the uncertain, or 

 partial, fulfilment of hazily expressed prophecies, not for 

 him the long and careful study of signs and portents ;. 

 he, himself, is the rainmaker, he is the dispenser of sun- 

 shine and cloud, he is gifted with the divine power that 

 storms and floods and drought obey. Here is his own 

 modest statement : " Thus when suitably placed as to 

 residence, the results of his (the author's,) action on 

 magnets are certain to produce changes in the weather, 

 and other effects, as interesting and useful, bearing on 

 meteorological science generally. They are simply mar- 

 vellous. Storms, floods, drought, &c.,can be induced, on 

 the one hand, and the prevalence of sunshine and warmth, 

 in opposition to coldness and gloom, on the other. His 

 action in this direction, judging from experience, could 

 bring any district, and, indeed, the country generally, such 

 favourable weather as would recall the glories of the 

 Golden Age." (p. iS.j Another passage that makes one 

 doubt whether the book is to be taken seriously, 

 relates how a prophet (Ouery Dr. Falbe, says the author) 

 foretold bad weather for^ March 2S, 1S93, sudden fall of 

 the barometer, great conflicts of wind and water, and 

 various other disasters. " About the same time Prof. 

 Jenkins foretold that there would be a cyclone with snow 

 on March 25. I took care that these storms did not 

 happen.'' (p. 1S6.) 



But there is one form of internal evidence which for- 

 bids us concluding that the author has perpetrated an 

 elaborate joke. He claims to have given to a whole 

 nation of holiday-makers ten days of enjoyable weather at 

 Easter, but refused to exercise his godlike gift on behalf of 

 suffering humanity at the following Whitsuntide, because 

 " N O " (in very large capitals) " suitable sign of apprecia- 

 tion had then been received from any of those who largely 

 benefited by the results of the fine Easter weather.' 

 (p. 214.) One would like to know what is the force of 

 " then " in this sentence. Have the railway companies 

 rewarded this gentleman since : -And what would be a 

 suitable sign of appreciation to a man so endowed ? But 

 enough of this nonsense ; whoever else the book may 

 amuse or edify, it will scarcely find readers among the 

 subscribers to Nature. W. E. P. 



The Elements of Graphic Statics: a Text-Book for 

 Students of Engineering. By L. M. Hoskins, Pro- 

 fessor of Pure and Applied Mechanics in the Leland 

 Stanford Junior University; formerly Professor of 

 Mechanics in the University of Wisconsin. (London: 

 Macmillan and Co., 1S92.) 

 Although the fundamental ideas of Graphical Methods 

 in Statics can be traced back to the writings of Stevinus, 



