RECENT LITERATURE. I I 



by Mr. R. Tait, jun. ; Vanessa vrticcp, varieties, by Mr. T. Wrigbt ; insects 

 found in timber, by Mr. W. Mountford ; Lepidoptera varieties, by Mr. 

 B. Prince ; British Bembidiidas, by Mr. R. Wilding ; and beautiful 

 specimens of Dasycampa rnbiginea, Phisia moneta, &c., by Mr. J. Collins. 

 Correction. — I regret that in the account of my exhibit at the 

 Lancashire and Cheshire Entomological Society's October meeting 

 Mr. W. H. Harwood's Colchester earwig should have been given as 

 Forficula pubescens (ServT) (Entom. xxxv. 331). It should have ap- 

 peared F. lesnei (Fin.). The error was mine, — E. J. B. Sopp. 



Tiffins' School Natural History Society. — We have received a 

 Report of tbe proceedings of this Society for the year 1902. The Society 

 is connected with Tiffins' Endowed Schools, Kingstou-on-Thames, and 

 is affiliated with the South-Eastern Union of Scientific Societies. The 

 President is Mr. W. J. Lucas, B.A. ; the Treasurer, Mr. C. J. Grist, 

 M.A. ; and the Hon. Secretary, R. H. Carter. The business transacted 

 during the year appears to have been extensive and varied. A number 

 of lectures were delivered, and most of these were illustrated by photos 

 and micro-photographs projected on the screen. Among the lectures 

 was one on " Lisects " by the President. Excursions were made during 

 the season to various Surrey localities for the purpose of collecting 

 and studying objects of Natural History, and it may be added that 

 several of the members are greatly interested in Entomology. 



RECENT LITERATURE. 1 ^ 3 OL-^ 

 L. Melichar. Monographie der Acanaloniiden und Flatiden (Homo- 

 ptera). "Ann. Naturh. Hofmuseums Wien, Band xvi. pp. 178- 

 258 (June 14th, 1902) and Band xvii. pp. 1-253 (1902). Plates 

 i.-ix. 

 This goodly monograph of 334 pages completes the revision of the 

 Pcekillopterinffi (sens, lat.), the " Ricaniiden " having been surveyed 

 previously.''' It is one of the most important Rhynchotal works that 

 have appeared for some time, and students of that neglected order will 

 be proportionately grateful to the author. I think, however, that an 

 introduction, dealing with the salient points in the morphology of these 

 insects and summarizing their geographical distribution and so forth, 

 would have enhanced its value. 



Th^ "^Acanaloniidse " f are distinguished by the absence of cross 

 nervures on the costal margin of the tegmina,arid of granules on the 

 clavus ; the posterior tibiae are spineless. The ^ Flatidae " (subf.) have 

 cross nervures in the clearly marked-off costal membrane ; the clavus 

 is always more or less granulate, and the posterior tibiae are furnished 

 with one, two, or three spines each. 



Six Acanaloniid genera are recognized, with 26 species ; of these, 

 2 genera and 6 species are new''. These 26 species are all American, 

 with one exception — the AMcsin^Parathiscia conjugata. 



* See « Entomologist,' 1899, p. 263. 



f Dr. Melichar unfortunately follows Lethierry and Severin in employing 

 identical horismology for families and subfamilies, a very confusing practice. 



