NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 267 
Mr. Stainton remarked that it would be interesting to know whether 
these Tinee fed on the horns or hoofs of living animals. He believed Lord 
Walsingham had prosecuted enquiries on the subject with at present a 
negative result. 
The Secretary read a letter received from the Colonial Office relative to 
the appearance of Phylloxera vastatrix on the vines of Victoria, also a 
letter addressed to the Colonial Office, from the Royal Gardens, Kew, by 
Mr. W. T. Thiselton Dyer, on the subject, and laid the minutes of evidence 
taken by a select committee of the Legislative Assembly, received as an 
enclosure, on the table. 
The President stated that this communication had been considered by 
the Council of the Society, and they had resolved that Messrs. Trimen, 
M‘Lachlan, and Fitch be appointed a Committee to investigate the matter 
and report. 
Mr. Arthur G. Butler communicated a continuation of his “ Descriptions 
of new Genera and Species of Heterocerous Lepidoptera from Japan,” 
treating of the Noctua. 
Mr. Roland Trimen read a “ Note on the capture of the paired sexes 
of Papilio Cenea, Stoll (P. Merope, auct.), in Natal,” and exhibited the 
specimens, which had lately been received from the captor, Col. Bowker.— 
HK. A. Fircu, Hon. Sec. 
NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 
The Cat: an Introduction to the Study of Back-boned Animals. 
especially Mammals. By Sr. Grorcr Mivarr, Ph.D., 
F.R.S.  8yvo, pp. 530, with 200 illustrations. London: 
Murray. 1881. 
Tue theatre-going portion of the British public has for some 
months past been exercised in mind in attempting to solve the 
question, “‘ Where is the Cat?” 
The query, “what is a Cat?” propounded by Professor 
Mivart in this his most recent work, is by no means so easy 
of solution. Indeed, to answer it satisfactorily involves an 
explanation which occupies more than 500 closely printed pages! 
To what end, it may be asked, is so long a discourse directed, 
and why has the author selected for his theme so familiar an 
animal as the Cat ? These questions are answered by anticipation 
in the Preface. 
