THE AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



151 



On Our Table, 



The Crayfish : An Introduction to the Study of Zoulog>'. 

 By T. H. Huxley, F R.S. 8vo., pp. 371, 82 illustrations. D. 

 Appleton & Co., New York, 1880.— Prof . Huxley is " the man 

 of men " most competi nt to write the life-history of an animal 

 in all its aspects, and in this work, whose title very inade- 

 quately expresses its scope or importance, we have a model 

 study in zoology. " I have desired to show how the careful 

 study of one of the commonest and most insignificant of ani- 

 mals leads us, step by step, from everyday knowledge to the 

 widest generalizations and the most difficult problems of zool- 

 ogy, and, indeed, of biological science in general." So says 

 Prof. Huxley in his preface, and so he leads his reader, from 

 natural history, to the results of the latest researches in physiol- 

 ogy, morphology, distribution and setiology ; defining and com- 

 paring with his wonted clearness and conciseness ; discussing 

 and solving, to the limits of present science, the general problems 

 which claim the attention of the zoologist. A book invaluable 

 to students and instructors. 



Darwinism and other Essays. By John Fiske, A.M., LL.B. 

 8vo., pp. 283. Macmillan & Co., London and New York, 1879. 

 Price, §2.00. — Here are brought together in convenient form 

 various ess.-iys and reviews hitherto scattered through periodi- 

 cals, and the collection is a valuable and welcome addition to 

 the literature of evolution. Darwinism has suffered not a lit- 

 tle at the hands of some of its most ardent champions, and, in 

 the words of Mr. Huxley," Many a spirited free-thinker makes 

 use of his freedom mainly to vent nonsense." Mr. Fiske is a 

 more wise and moderate advocate. His essays maybe strongly 

 commended to all interested in the study of contemporary 

 thought ; nor are they less calculated to interest the general 

 reader than to help the student. They are full of valuable 

 thought, and their topics are rendered enjoyable even to the 

 iinproficient. They will be found especially useful and in- 

 structive to those who are perplexed with conflicting views 

 anent the doctrines of evolution. We lay Mr. Fiske's book 

 aside feeling, as its author says at the close of one of his essays : 

 " That yet another charming moment of our reading life has 

 gone to be numbered with the things of the past." 



The Taxidermists' Manual, by Capt. Thomas Brown, F. L. S. 

 Twenty-eighth edition. New York. G. P. Putnam's Sons. — 

 Persons who take an interest in natural history frequently 

 meet with objects that they would gladly preserve if they pos- 

 sessed the knowledge requisite for the purpose. The present 

 volume is designed expressly as a guide to those who may de- 

 sire information in regard to preserving the various objects of 

 natural history in all countries and climates. The work is 

 fully illustrated, and published as one of Putnam's Popular 

 Series of Instructive Alanuals, and one that will prove valuable 

 to the naturalist while laboring in the field or cabinet. 



Classification and Description of the American Species of 

 Characeae. By D. B. Halsted. 8vo. pp. 5!2. (Ext. from 

 Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. XX, March 5, 1879.) From 

 the Author. 



Memoirs of the Science Department, University of Tokio, 

 Japan. Vol I, Part 1 : Shell Mounds of Omori. By Edward 

 S. .Morse. 4to. pp. 36. 18 Plates. Tokio, Japan, 1879. From 

 the University. 



Neue Beobachtungen und Entdeckungen an den auf Ulmus 

 campestris L. vorkommenden Aphiden-Arten. Von Dr. 

 Hermann Friedrich Kessler. 8vo. pp. 34. 2 Plates. Cassel, 

 1880. From the Author. 



Commission Superieure du Phylloxera. Session de 1879. 

 Compte rendu et pieces annexes. Loi, decrets et arretes 

 relatifs au Phylloxera. 8vo. pp. 6C. 1 Map. Paris, 1880. 



Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society. Vol. 

 XVIII, No. 105, January to March, 1880. Philadelphia. 

 From the Society. 



Annual Reports of the Nebraska State Board of Agricul- 

 ture, and the State Horticultural Society, to September, 1879. 

 8vo. pp. 350. 1 Map. Lincoln, Neb., 1880. From the Sec- 

 retary. 



Proceedings of the Poughkeepsie Society of Natural Science, 

 from October, 1878, to July, 1879. 8vo. pp. 54. 4 Plates. 



Some Interesting New Diptera. By S. W. Williston. 8vo. 

 pp. 4. (Ext. from Trans, of Connecticut Academy. Vol. IV, 

 Part 2, 1880.) From the Author. 



Proceedings of the Western New York Horticultural Soci- 

 ety. Twenty-fifth Annual Meeting. Rochester, Jan. 28 

 and 29, 1880. 8vo. pp. 154. From the Secretary. 



Johns Hopkins University. Studies from the Biological 

 Laboratory. No. IV. The Development of the American 

 Oyster. By W. K. Brooks. 8vo. pp. 116. XI plates. Bal- 

 timore, 1880. From the Author. 



Las Vides Americanas y La Filoxera en Espafia. Revista 

 publicadapor J. Muiioz del Castillo. Afiol,No.6. Diciembre, 

 1879. Logrono. From the Publisher. 



Sur la Nymphe du genre d Ephemerines Baetisca, par Benj. 

 D. Walsh, M. A. Traduit de 1' Anglais et Annote par Le 

 Dr. Emile Joly. 8vo. pp. 19. Angers, 1880. From the 

 Author. 



Extracts from Correspondence. 



[We shall publish in this Department such extracts from the 

 letters of our correspondents as contain entomological facts 

 worthy to be recorded, on account either of their scientific or 

 of their practical importance. We hope our readers will con- 

 tribute each their several mitei towards the general fund ; and 

 in case they are not perfectly certain of the names of the in- 

 sects, the peculiarities of which are to be mentioned, will send 

 specimens along in order that each species may be duly 

 identified.! 



Odontota scutellaris, Oliv., bad on a variety 

 of trees. — On the 7th May — not a locust leaf or 

 flower to be seen, a few buds only, bursting, I 

 observed the terrible enemy of the Robinia. They 

 came in great numbers and were devouring the 

 advanced foliage of Siberian Crab-apples, render- 

 ing them quite shabby — other apples close by, 

 and suckers from the stocks upon which they 

 were grafted, escaped. In the wild woods the 

 tender leaves of Ulmus ameficana, White-elm, 

 were eaten, those of Ulmus fulva, equally abund- 

 ant, escaped. The Cratmgiis tomentosa and some 

 quinces appeared eroded in the same manner, 

 but the insect was not seen. I wrote you last 

 summer that these beetles, on emerging from 

 their pupae in the mined leaflets of the Robinia, 

 at once began feeding upon what green leaves 

 were left, but finding insufficient food, or having 

 had narrow pastures as larvae, their appetites 

 were voracious, and they had attacked the young 

 leaves of Red-oak ((?. rubra). This tree has 

 again furnished them abundant food in the emerg- 

 ency of the late vernation of Robinia. The Q. 

 cocciimea, castanea, prinos, paltistris, macrocarpa, 

 pkillos, lyrata, imbticaria, etc., close by have es- 

 caped, nor has it been seen on the Q. alba, rare 

 here ; but it has raided a favorite tree of the 

 European White-oak, Q. pedunculata — nor have 

 the trees of Q. palustris (of the Red-oak class) 

 been affected, though surrounded by Locust 

 trees. These tastes of the scutellaris are very 

 singular. 



Apple-twig Borer. — A. S. H., Wytheville, 

 Va. — The insects which you send accompanied 

 by an apple-twig, showing their work, and which 

 are so destructive to your Apple trees, are the 

 well-known Apple-twig bdrer, of which you will 

 find an account, with figures, on p. 51 of this 

 Magazine. 



Insect Powders. — On running over the pages 

 of your Bulletin on the Cotton Worm I notice 

 that you have something to say about Pyrethrum 

 Powder, which reminds me that Dalmatian Insect 

 Powder is, according to some authorities, made 

 from the Leucanlhemum vulgare, our Ox-eye 

 daisy. In Europe it is called Chrysanthe?num 

 Lcma)ithemuiii. Could we not so utilize that 

 vile weed ? I think the subject is worthy of 

 experiment. The Dalmatian is said to be equally 

 as good as the Persian Insect Powder. — William 

 Saunders, Washington, D. C. 



