50 
NATURE 
| Mov. 16, 1882 
hyde groups in living plasma, and are of opinion that 
albumen is a product of the condensation of a relatively 
simply-constituted molecular group. 
These simple groups are what are termed aldehydic 
groups and ammonia or amide groups. 
Their idea is that a group CHOH, which, however, has 
not yet been isolated, combines and condenses somewhat 
as shown :— 
4CHOH + NH, = H,N.CH .COH 
| + (OH,), 
CGH, CO 
‘This more complex group acting again as an independent 
individual and yielding a still more complex body, 
C,.H,;N.04; with expulsion of water. 
H,NCH COH 
| ; | |- CyoHy;0,N, + °H,0. 
CH,COH 
A further similar condensation under conditions where 
it could take up additional hydrogen and some sulphur, 
conditions easily attainable in living organisms, yield 
albumen direct :— 
6 « (CyoHy;N3Qy) + SH, + °H, = 
CrafyMe5 « Oo + “20. 
This is the formula for albumen, assuming sulphur as an 
essential constituent. A simpler would be C;.Hy,yNygOo,, 
and would be a direct product of such condensation. 
Both in the fall of this complicated molecule through 
less and less complicated groupings of atoms to the so- 
called mineral groups into which they are finally resolved, 
and in the so far only partial building-up process, the 
peculiar aptitude of certain elementary substances to 
combine into very stable groups or individuals is well 
shown. Carbon and nitrogen compounds exhibit this 
par excellence, but there is no reason to suppose that such 
a property is confined to them alone. It may be that 
the range of existence of these compounds are more 
within our reach than in the case of other so-called 
elements. 
As elements imprint generally their most characteristic 
property on the compounds they form, it is perhaps not 
unreasonable to suppose that these elements whose com- 
pounds we see so readily group up or polymerise, may 
themselves be also, in the condition in which we take 
them to be elementary, in a state of great atomic 
complexity. 
THE BUTTERFLIES OF INDIA 
The Butterflies of India, Burmah, an@ Ceylon. A de- 
scriptive Handbook of all the known Species of 
Rhopalocerous Lepidoptera inhabiting that Region, 
with Notices of Allied Species occurring in the Neigh- 
bouring Countries along the Border ; with Numerous 
Illustrations. By Major G. F. L. Marshall, R.E., and 
L, de Nicéville. Part I. Royal 8vo. (Calcutta, 1882.) 
“T°HE first part of this anxiously-expected book, by 
Major Marshall and Mr. de Nicéville, has just 
arrived, and will, I am sure, be gladly welcomed, not 
only by the naturalists zz esse of Europe, but by a great 
number of naturalists 7 fosse of our Indian Empire. 
For though, thanks to the labours of Hodgson, Blyth, 
Jerdon, Hume, Blanford, Godwin-Austen, Day, Theo- 
bald, and many others, we have excellent handbooks, 
and a very fairly complete knowledge of the mammals, 
birds, reptiles, fishes, and land shells of India, we have 
absolutely nothing to assist the entomologist or collector 
in identifying and studying the lepidoptera. How many 
weary hours of hot weather on the plains, how many 
dreary evenings in camp, and tedious marches in moun- 
tains and forests will be made interesting and profitable 
by this book no one but residents in India have any idea, 
but I feel sure that its appearance will give such an im- 
pulse to the collection and study of the lepidoptera of 
India that in ten years we shall have as many working 
entomologists in India as we have had ornithologists, 
since the publication of Jerdon’s Birds of India. 
Considering the magnitude of the work, and the many 
risks and chances of life in India, it is specially fortunate 
that the work has been undertaken by two gentlemen, of 
whom one is already known as an ornithologist of repute, 
and both of whom have excellent opportunities for 
bringing together the immense amount of material neces- 
sary to bring the work to a conclusion. 
The little we know at present of the butterflies of India 
is gathered from the scattered descriptions of Indian 
species by old authors and from the numerous papers 
and descriptions in various publications by a few modern 
entomologists, of whom Mr. F. Moore holds by far the 
most distinguished place. Unfortunately, however, many 
of these papers are of a bare and misleading character, 
and so far from making the work of discriminating the 
species easier, only confuse it. 
The carelessness which has been shown by some 
writers about the habitat and distribution of species, and 
about their allied forms, is deplorable in many ways, and 
shows an entire want of appreciation of the physical 
geography of India, and of the vastly different zoologi- 
cal regions which it includes ; but new light is sure to be 
thrown on the subject by men who understand and appre- 
ciate these facts, and who have personal and local know- 
ledge of the country whose insects they describe. The 
form of the work, which is printed and published by the 
Calcutta Central Press Company, 5, Council House Street, 
Calcutta, is a large octavo; both print and paper are 
good, and likely to stand the hard wear to which no 
doubt the work will be subjected. The price is not men- 
tioned in the first part, but will no doubt depend on the 
number of illustrations which are found necessary. These 
are of three kinds, viz. chromolithographs, of new and 
remarkable species by West, Newman, and Co., London, 
of which one appears as frontispiece, and is very superior 
to some illustrations of a similar character ; autotypes, 
by the Autotype Company of London, of which nine are 
given in the first part, illustrating dissections, typical 
larvee, and pupa, and fifteen species of Danainz; these 
are well executed, and suitable to their purpose, though 
perhaps they will hardly be suitable to illustrate the 
Lycenide, The woodcuts, by George Pearson, of which 
three “are given with the text, are not quite so good, but 
will serve their purpose very fairly. The illustrations are 
drawn by Babu Behari Lall Dass, and Babu Cris Chun- 
der Chuckerbutty, of Calcutta, under ihe superintendence 
of Mr. Wood Mason, and seem to be faithful to nature, 
as the drawings of good native artists generally are. 
