CURRENT NOTES. 177 
for existence, the appearance of new varieties of domesticated animals 
and plants may be selected as a single fact which by itself constitutes 
proof. Domesticated species are to a great extent removed from the 
struggle for existence when they are taken under human care, and 
should, therefore, cease to make new developments to the same extent 
as in a wild state, if progress is the result of the struggle. On the 
contrary, however, their power of making new developments is suddenly 
and enormously increased, thus showing that the previous effect of the 
struggle has been not to cause progress, but to repress it, compelling 
the force of life, as it were, to keep within old and narrow limits. This, 
I think, proves that Darwin was wrong.” 
The Can. Ent. for March contains some interesting items. (1) The 
monthly Popular and Practical Hntomology article is devoted to an 
account of the “ Hradication of the bedbug (Cime), by Superheating.”’ 
(2) Mr. T. D. A. Cockerell gives a comparison of the numbers and 
species of “ Insects which are attracted by sunflowers in California and 
in South Africa ’’; itis noteworthy that Plusiines are attracted in the 
latter country quite as strongly as they are said to be in many parts 
of the United States. (8) ‘ The stoneflies (Perlidae) of the genus 
Peltoperla.” (4) A most interesting record of “Two generations of 
a parasite reared from the same individual host.” (5) “A new genus 
and species of Nitidulini, with descriptions of other new species of 
Coleoptera,” by an old correspondent of the Hint. Record, W. L. 
Blatchley, of Indianapolis, Indiana; etc. 
More than ten pages of the Scottish Naturalist for April deal with 
matters entomological. Mr. J. H. Ashworth contributed a note on the 
“Hibernation of Flies,” Mr. T. L. Mackeith gives interesting facts 
under the heading, “ A plague of Flies in a Renfrewshire house,” Mr. 
P. H. Grimshaw has an article on “‘ The Study of Diptera,” and there 
are shorter notes and records by several correspondents in other groups 
of insects. In addition there is an article ‘“ Hydracarina from 
Strathearn,”’ by Mr. W. Williamson. At the present time considerable 
attention is being called to an investigation of the economy of the 
‘“house-fly,” and Dr. Gahan, Keeper of the British Museum, Insects, 
S. Kensington, has accumulated a large number of facts and material 
from many sources all over the kingdom, of which we hope he will 
give us a resumé one evening at the Entomological Society of London. 
The material he has, some of which we have seen, is most interesting 
and suggestive. 
Dr. Burr, in spite of his various duties military and otherwise, has 
found time during the past year to see through the press a number of 
important contributions to Dermapterology. In the first place we have 
two papers read at the Hntomological Society of London, ‘‘ The 
Opisthomeres and the Gonophyses in the Dermaptera,”’ illustrated by a 
score of text figures, and ‘* Notes on the Manubrium of the Ninth 
Sternite in the Male Karwig,’’ illustrated by four plates of numerous 
ficures. In addition there are three contributions to the Journal of the 
Microscopical Society, which probably contain some of the best scientific 
work which has hitherto been done on this subject. 
Messrs: A. Sich, F.E.S., and Hy. J. Turner have again been asked 
to allow their names to be published as referees to name specimens of 
Lepidoptera which may be sent to them by members or associates of 
the South-Eastern Union of Scientific Societies. 
