THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 363 



ptera, &c., when " nymph " ought to be employed for all the stadia 

 between the ovum and the imago ; but the learned Belgian has evi- 

 dently not fallen into this error, for he speaks of "une veritable larve." 

 So far as our knowledge goes, the CicadidcB are certainly no exception 

 to the general direct development in the Rhynchota, inasmuch as there 

 is no " resting-stage " as in the true Holometabola ; " the larval and 

 pupal changes " in the periodical Cicada are normal " (Marlatt, " The 

 Periodical Cicada" [1898, U. S. Dep. Agriculture, Entom. BulL 14, 

 N. s. p. 84]). As regards the structure of the legs, moreover, the 

 author of the work just cited states that this is " perhaps the best 

 means of distinguishing the adolescent stages of " the periodical 

 Cicada {Tibicen septendecim. (Linn.)) " from other Cicadas " (/.c.,p.85). 

 On the other hand, we ourself possess nymphs, in two stages, of an 

 Oriental species of Dundubia, in which the anterior legs are developed 

 quite as greatly, proportionately, as in Tibicen. It must also be 

 remembered that the anterior femora are of very considerable size in 

 almost all the Cicadidte in the imaginal stage. 



We reproduce the classificatory table of Coleoptera, merely noticing 

 that the Lymexylidje are supposed to be the nearest to the ancestral 

 Planipennian Neuropteron, and that the presence of an ocellus, or of 

 ocelli, in certain Dermestidae and Staphylinidae, points to the high 

 antiquity of these families. The Cantharidfe are perhaps more gene- 

 rally known as Telephorids, while the Cicindelidse of authors are 

 swallowed up in the Carabidaa. After the inclusion of the fleas in the 

 order, the most daring innovation is perhaps the removal of the Bren- 

 thidte from association with the Rhyuchophora and other Phyto- 

 phaga and the placing of them in the Clavicornes. (See opposite.) 



G. W. K. 



L. 0. HowAED. Notes on the Mosquitoes of the United States (1900, U. S. 

 Dep. Agriculture, Div. Entom.; Bull. 25, n.s., pp. 1-70; 22 figs.). 



This valuable addition to the numerous practical bulletins issued 

 by the U. S. Department of Agriculture consists of introductory 

 remarks upon mosquitos in general, their connection — vigorously dis- 

 cussed and experimented upon in all quarters at the present time — 

 with malaria, their life-history, natural enemies, and remedial measures 

 against their presence and attacks. A synoptic table is furnished of 

 the five genera — Anopheles, ^-Edes, Megarhinus, Psorophora, and Ciilex — 

 and of the twenty- three recognized and eighteen unrecognized species 

 of the North American fauna. Figures of several of these, in various 

 stages, are inserted in the text. 



Mosquitos appear to be, occasionally, sad victims of alcoholic in- 

 temperance. Dr. Gray, of St. Lucia, quoted by Dr. Howard, relates 

 how he put a few mosquitos "under a bell -jar one day, in order to 

 watch them. I put a single drop of port wine under the jar, as I had 

 heard that mosquitoes could be kept alive for a long time on wine. 

 "When I went to look at them a few hours later, I found them all 

 apparently dead, so I put them in a dry bottle, intending to pin them 

 later. "When I went to pin them, shortly afterwards, they were all 

 staggering about in a most extraordinary manner — they were drunk! " 



* By the context it is evident that " nymphal " changes are intended. 



