30 Reviews and Book Notices. 
identifying any form they find. Each species is dealt with very thoroughly 
as regards its synonyms, technical description, distribution, habitat, habits 
and myrmecophiles, and in every case the original description is quoted. 
Too many of our entomological works are mere classified lists of techni- 
calities and forbidding in form and substance; but Mr. Donisthorpe’s 
book, written in a new spirit, avoids this error, and will command the 
interest of every intelligent naturalist. Particularly interesting are the 
chapters dealing with Colony Founding, Propagation, Metamorphosis, 
Parthenogenesis, Polymorphism, Psychology, etc. The book is illustrated 
by eighteen photographic plates and ninety-two diagrams, and there is 
a very complete bibliography and index. In the preface the author 
points out that his book ‘has been brought to a conclusion during the 
opening months of a supreme national crisis—well nigh within sound 
of the guns. At such a time it is too much to hope or even to wish that 
the problems of biological science should receive their due meed of atten- 
tion. But later on, when the success of which we cannot be doubtful shall 
have attended our efforts and those of our Allies, when intellectual pursuits 
have resumed their sway, it is hoped that the present volume will serve 
both as an inducement and an aid to the study of the most fascinating 
of all insects.’ 
The County of the White Rose: An Introduction to the History and 
Antiquities of Yorkshire. By A.C. Price. London: A. Brown & Sons, 
Ltd., 403 pages, 3s. 6d.net. The author tells us that ‘ this book is intended 
neither for the skilled antiquary nor for the hasty reader, but it is hoped 
that it may be of service to those, whether old or young, who take a real 
interest in the history of their county, but lose much of the profit of what 
they see or read because of their inability to understand the allusions 
and technicalities in the ordinary guide books. Nor does it intend to be 
a complete history of the county.” The author has also had in view the 
needs of the teachers, and being neither a ‘ hasty reader’ nor a ‘ skilled 
antiquary,’.the present writer is prepared to state that the book is up to 
the author’s standard. It is also well illustrated, well printed, well bound, 
and reasonable in price. He deals with geology, prehistoric man, the 
Romans, Angles, Danes, Normans, the Barons, Churches and Abbeys, 
Medieval Towns, Tudors, Stuarts, and Modern Yorkshire. The author 
is obviously neither a ‘skilled antiquary’ nor a ‘hasty reader’ him- 
self. He has evidently read much and ‘made notes’ as he read. 
Unfortunately he has not been able to differentiate between the reliable 
and the unreliable in his reading, which has resulted in many irritating, 
if trifling errors, which, however, do not seriously detract from the value 
of the book. It is a pity the author has not had some reliable geological 
and antiquarian friend to read through his proofs. For instance he states 
that the geological map ‘tells us the kind of rocks we should find if 
we were to remove the turf and upper layer of soil.” Yet his geological 
map shows all Holderness as chalk, which means that ‘turf,’ etc., to a 
depth of over a hundred feet has been removed !_ The fact is the author 
has based his map on the ‘solid’ Survey map, instead of the ‘ drift’ 
edition. Similarly, reference is made to the Roman altar found at Pat- 
rington, and he falls into the error originated, we believe, by Phillips, 
in stating that Patrington isa Roman station. This surmise was certainly 
founded on the ‘altar,’ no other trace of Roman occupation having 
occurred at Patrington. A few years ago the ‘altar “ was rescued for a 
Yorkshire Museum, and was shown to be a seventeenth century sun-dial ! 
A pterodactyle can hardly be called ‘a kind of enormous bat’; both the- 
lists of Museums on pages 20 and 25 are incomplete, and surely Mortimer’s 
‘Forty Years’ Researches’ contains more about Prehistoric Yorkshire 
than all the books Mr. Price quotes put together. ‘There is a good index, 
and an excellent map of the county at the end. 
Naturalist, 
