44 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [February, 



tion that will be of interest in many parts of the world; it is to 

 be regretted that it should have appeared in an almost inaccessible 

 publication. Wasmann's Catalogue of Myrmecophilous and Ter- 

 mitophilous Arthropods is a very useful work that has involved 

 an enormous amount of labor. 



Brongniart's work on early fossil Insects is certainly one of the 

 most valuable of its kind that has ever appeared, if only in con- 

 sequence of the number and excellence of the illustrations; one 

 of these represents, of the natural size, an insect of over two feet 

 in expanse of wing. The text of this work is in large part de- 

 voted to a review of the question as to the origin of wings, and 

 the nomenclature of their nervures. This discussion, however, 

 does not deal with the chief difficulty of the subject, viz., our 

 insufficient knowledge of the histology and development of wings. 

 Scudder's work on fossil Tipulidae appears to be one of the best 

 monographs that has yet been produced on a special family of 

 fossil Insects. 



Laet year the Recorder called attention to the insufficient way 

 in which new species and genera are frequently indicated to be 

 such, and he takes this opportunity of alluding to a practice of 

 the opposite kind that appears to be rapidly extending, viz., the 

 publication of descriptions as "' new species," or "gen. nov. ," 

 although diagnoses or descriptions have previously appeared in 

 some other work. In these cases it is not infrequent that all 

 reference to so important a fact is suppressed. The Recorder 

 will venture to suggest that societies and editors should endeavor 

 to render such a proceeding less feasible than it appears to be at 

 present. — D. Sharp's Introduction to Insecta, Zoological Record 

 for 1894. 



Pickapack. — On the ist of July last I found a yellow geometrid cater- 

 pillar that had, what seemed to be, a bunch of bluish green follicles, just 

 at the bend of the back. This proved to be a batch of larvae, compressed, 

 and having their nozzles buried in the skin of their victim. In a day or 

 two the caterpillar succumbed, and the larvae spread themselves over its 

 under parts and drained its remaining juices; they then spun their cocoons. 

 In the beginning of August the perfect flies appeared. Mr. Ashmead 

 kindly identified them for me as specimens of £up/ectus/ronta/is Howard. 

 — Rev. Thomas W. Fvles, South Quebec. 



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