204 the entomologist's record. 



in as necessity arises, there must be a large amount of " results " not 

 only to record but to publish. To illustrate this introduction, which 

 is written by the able Curator, Mr. G. Talbot, there are plates 

 pourtraying Mr. J. J. Joicey, the chief members of the staff of the 

 Museum, and Messrs. Pratt and Barnes, the exterior and interior of 

 the large hall containing the collections, library, etc., and the large 

 annexe in which detailed work is carried on by experts. Mr. Talbot 

 goes on to say that one of the chief aims of the collection is to get 

 together in one place as large a number of forms of each species to 

 illustrate its capabilities in the way of geographical variation ; to aid 

 this comprehensive aim a considerable amount of morphological work 

 is undertaken. The association of species in the local faunas explored 

 by Mr. Joicey's collectors is being largely worked out at the Museum. 

 These associations are expected to yield much information on distribu- 

 tion and relationship, and the results obtained it is proposed to publish 

 from time to time in the Bulletin. 



In the work of the Museum particular stress is laid on the 

 " Acquisition of Data." With such aims as stated above, the more 

 exact and complete in detail these data are the better is the material 

 capable of furnishing factors for the determination of such biological 

 problems as the phenomenon of mimicry, protective resemblance, 

 distribution and classification. The exhaustive suggested schedule of 

 points in the data and its details is too long to reproduce in our pages 

 but we note some of the chief headings, viz., Locality, Climate, Time, 

 Habit of Adults, Habit of Larva, Pupae, Ova, etc. 



In the first study, which we read was undertaken at the suggestion 

 of Professor Poulton, Mr. Talbot deals with the " Euploeines forming 

 Mimetic Groups in the islands (1) Key, (2) Aru, (3) Tenimber, 

 (4) Australia, and (5) Fiji." These are treated of separately and the 

 paper is illustrated by four plates showing the chief members of each 

 group. It was, we are told, only by the careful summarising of the 

 very large and consequently representative collections sent home by 

 W. J. C. Frost that it became possible to write this admirable and 

 suggestive paper. 



Following this is a long faunistic paper dealing in sections with 

 the major portion of the new material collected by F. A. Barnes in E. 

 Central Africa and illustrated by fourteen plates and a map. The 

 various groups have been worked out by Messrs. J. •). Joicey, G. Talbot, 

 L. B. Prout and Miss Prout. This is followed by descriptions, 

 accompanied by figures of new forms of Lepidoptera sent home by 

 C. T. Bowring, Esq., F.E.S., while residing on the island of Hainan. 

 The material sent was very extensive and is fairly well, we are told, 

 representative of the Lepidopterous fauna of the island. The more 

 complete faunistic study and the association of species will be dealt 

 with in a subsequent and more complete paper. It is gratifying to 

 note that Mr. Joicey has adopted the dictum laid down some time ago 

 by M. Oberthiir that all descriptions should be supported by figures 

 and thus obviate the unavoidable ambiguity of a mere word painting, 

 which often conveys to the student of after years but a poor indication 

 of the actual insect described, and confuses and hinders the progress of 

 our knowledge. 



We welcome the fine new venture and congratulate Mr. Joicey on 

 his high aims, and his staff, especially Mr. G. Talbot, who have taken 

 so much skilful care in the carrying out of these aims. — H.J.T. 



