Reviews and Book Xofi'ces. 317 



v.ilue in more than one direction may be obtainable. In one 

 case I toLind a leaf of WiUiamsonia pecten bored by some 

 organism. On another slab I have obtained a sug-<^estion that 

 Seward's variety major oi Sagenopteris Phill/psi nvdy really be a 

 distinct species of Sagenopteris, even if it is a Sagenopteris at all. 



REVIEWS AND BOOK NOTICES. 



A List of the Lepidoptera found in the Counties of Cheshire, 

 Flintshire, Denbighshire, Carnarvonshire, and Anglesea. By 

 George O. Day, F.E.S. 



We hail with much pleasure the appearance of another northern local 

 list of lepidoptera. As its title implies, the area included is larg-e — no less, 

 indeed, than 2,878 square miles ; and what strikes one at once is the com- 

 paratively small number of localities mentioned for so larg-e an extent of 

 country, for while some districts have evidently been fairly well worked, in 

 larg-e tracts little or nothing seems to have been done. The list as a whole 

 makes a fairly good show, but undoubtedly a great many species which 

 must occur still remain to be discovered and chronicled. We are at a loss 

 to understand, howe\er, why our author has recorded several species, 

 universall}- acknowledged as distinct, as varieties. Cidaria riissatn and 

 ('. Iininanaia are bracketed together as one ; and the same applies to 

 Oporabia autiinmata and O. filigrammaria, to Eiipithecia succentitriata and 

 E. subfulvata , and to E. innotata and E. fraxinata. For these errors there 

 is no excuse, and the last tv/o especially, except in a somewhat close resem- 

 blance in the imagfo stages, have nothing- whatever in common, the larvse 

 not even belonging to the same group of Eupitbecian larvse. And, in York- 

 shire at any rate, no one who knows C. riissata and C. iinmanata well, can 

 have the slightest doubt as to their distinctness. It is possible that 

 O. ajtfumitafa may not be a specifically distinct species, but even in that 

 case it would, we consider, not be a form oi Jiligrammaria, but oi dilutata. 

 We think, too, that a mistake has been made in adopting the nomenclature of 

 Standinger and Rebel, as it is altogether strange to British lepidopterists, 

 and is not at all likely to be extensively used by the present generation of 

 students. Who, we wonder, would ever recognise in Tephroclysfia goos- 

 sensiata our little friend Eiipithecia triintttata ; or in Agro/is primula; our 

 equally familiar Xoctita festiva ? And there are dozens of similar cases. 

 The absurdit}- is forcibly realised when we find Deilephila galii changed to 

 D. gallii ! As the species takes its name from its food plant, Galium, it is 

 obvious that a mere misprint has been followed. We notice, too, that the 

 variety fitscata of Hybernia progemiiiaria is given on the authority of 

 Harrison, whereas we were present ourselves when the form was first 

 brought forward and named by Mr. S. L. Mosley. We have seen this 

 mistake elsewhere. 



The list, which is well got up and clearly printed, is issued under the 

 auspices of the Chester Society of Natural Science ; and notwithstanding 

 what we consider to be its defects, it will be of the greatest value to 

 lepidopterists working in the area treated of, and to all interested in the 

 geographical distribution of our British lepidoptera. We heartily congratu- 

 late the Chester Society on its production. — G. T. P. 



•♦• 



The fourth quarterly record of additions to the Hull Museum (Publication 

 Xo. 13, one penny) has just been issued. It contains an illustrated account 

 of the large striated boulder just placed in front of the Museun-i, and 

 particulars of antiquities, etc., added to the collections during- the three 

 months. 



1903 August I. 



