167 



EECENT LITERATURE. 



A Guide to the Natural History of the Isle of Wight. Edited by 

 Frank Morey, F.L.S. ; with contributions (on Inseeta) by 

 Malcolm Burr, B.A., F.E.S., F.L.S., F.Z.S., F.G.S. ; W. J. 

 Lucas, B.A., F.E.S. ; Claude Morley, F.E.S., F.Z.S. ; E. A. 

 Newbery ; Horace St. J. K. Donisthorpe, F.Z.S. , F.E.S. , &c. ; 

 E. A. Butler, B.A., B.Sc, F.E.S. ; and Hubert F. Poole. 

 Pp. XX, 560 ; with Map. Isle of Wight : The County Press, 

 Newport. London : William Wesley & Son. 1909. 



• This bulky volume deals with the whole of the natural history of 

 the island, and, considering that it is but some three years since the 

 project was initiated by the editor, w^e consider that the result goes 

 far to show him worthy of the trust suggested by its production. 

 Fuller working of the central inland districts, and especially of the 

 woods and open ground, would add considerably to the various 

 faunistic lists, since the heel of the invader from dingier climes is 

 shown all along the coast-line, more particularly at the "back" of 

 the island. But the resident naturalists are few, though all such 

 appear to have most liberally assisted in the satisfactory issue, which 

 is evidenced by the totals : — Orthoptera, 23 species ; Neuroptera, 

 29 species ; Hymenoptera, 472 species ; Coleoptera, 1434 species ; 

 Lepidoptera, 972 species ; Diptera, 281 species ; and Hemiptera, 

 324 species. All these, however, are obviously open to augmentation, 

 and we trust those who sojourn or have sojourned in Vectis will 

 comply with the editor's request, suffixed to his excellent Preface, 

 for further information upon their especial groups. 



C. M. 



Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Phalance in the British Museum. 

 Vol. vii. By Sir George F. Hampson, Bart. Pp. i-xv, 1-709; 

 with Atlas of fifteen coloured plates. London : Printed by 

 Order of the Trustees. 1908. 



The bulky volume under notice, which is the fourth dealing with 

 the classification of the Noctuidee, treats of the Acronyctinae. The 

 author states that, as there are about three thousand species belonging 

 to over three hundred genera referable to this subfamily, their con- 

 sideration will occupy two other volumes, in addition to the present 

 one in which over eight hundred species and rather less than one 

 hundred genera are entered and described. Thirty-seven of the 

 genera have each but one species, and sixteen others have thirty-six 

 species between them ; three genera [Trachea, Perigea, Erio'inis), on 

 the other hand, embrace a total of two hundred and seventy species. 



In Trachea, Ochsenheimer, = Achatia, Hiibner, Tent. (t. atriplicis, 

 L.), are merged Phosjihila, Hiibn. (t. turhulenta, Hiibn.), Hama, 

 Steph. (t. anceps, Schiff.), Berrhoea, Walk. (t. aurigera, Walk.), Chan- 

 data, Moore (t. partita, Moore), and Epa, Beth. -Baker (t. pratti, 

 Beth.-Baker). 



According to our author, nigricans, Vieweg, is an earlier name for 

 ahjecta, Hiibner, but is not eligible in this connection ; he, however, 



