NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 813 



T. gracilis. Mr. Dobree was inclined to think they were not that species, 

 but T. stabilis. 



Mr. A. C. Horner exhibited the following species of Coleoptera from the 

 neighbourhood of Ton bridge : — Co»y9soc/u7MS palpalis, Esp. (5); Acw- 

 gnathus mandibularis, Gjll. (4); Homalota atrata, Mann., H. vilis, Er., 

 and H. difficilis, Bris. ; Calodera riibens, Er. ; and Oxytelus fulvipes, Er. 

 He also exhibited a Rhizophagus from Sherwood Forest, which appeared to 

 belong to a new species ; and several specimens of Holopedina polypori, 

 Fdrst., also from Sherwood Forest, where he had found it in company 

 with, and probably parasitic on, Cis vestitus. 



Mr, Elisha exhibited two larvae of Zelleria hepariella, Stn. 



Mr. Stainton remarked that as the greater part of the larvte of Zelleria 

 were attached to the Oleaceae, it seemed strange that certain species had 

 recently been found on Saxifrage. 



Mr. Slater read a paper " On the presence of Tannin in certain Insects, 

 and its influence on their colours." He mentioned the facts that tannin 

 was certainly present in the tissues of the leaf-, wood- and bark-eating species, 

 but not in the tissues of the carnivorous beetles, and that black colour on 

 the elytra of certain beetles appeared to be produced by the action of iron 

 on tannin. A discussion ensued, in which Prof. Meldola, Mr. Poulton, 

 Dr. Sharp, and others took part.— W. W. Fowleb, Hon. Sec. 



NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 



Die Waldschnepfe. Ein Motiographischer Beitracj zur Jagcl- 

 zoologie, von Dr. Julius Hoffmann. Zweite vermehrte 

 Auflage. 8vo. Stuttgart, 1887. 



The first edition of this book appeared in 1867, and in the 

 twenty years which have elapsed since its publication, considerable 

 advance has been made in the study of Ornithology. Not only 

 are there now a great many more skilled observers than formerly, 

 but their observations are much more systematic and thorough of 

 their kind. It may almost be said that more definite knowledge 

 has been gained on this subject during the last five and twenty 

 years than was acquired during the previous century. Especially 

 is this the case with regard to the migration of birds, the deter- 

 mination of their breeding haunts, the discovery of new species, 

 and the exposition of relationships from careful anatomical and 

 physiological research. With the greater facilities which now 

 exist for travel and exploration, naturalists have been enabled to 



ZOOLOGIST.— AUGUST, 1887. 2 B 



