50 THE entomologist's record. 



is a very different one. Choosing some of the most striking details of 

 insect habits published by aiithors, ancient and modern — Kirby, Bell, 

 Lubbock, Darwin, Lyonnet, Howard, etc. — the author writes with a 

 verve and wealth of imagination that converts the book into a real 

 romance. The original facts are dressed in picturesque language, 

 presented from the author's point of view, and so lose most of their 

 original value, and leave an entomologist absolutely helpless on almost 

 every page. Many an entomologist who knows his subject will envy 

 Mr. Selous' wealth of forceful language, but entomologists will 

 certainly wish that Mr. 8elous knew something of entomology. Mr. 

 Selous disarms real criticism by the statement that the book is not of 

 a scientific nature, and that he is prepared to defend the inclusion 

 of scorpions, centipedes and spiders in his idea of insects. In con- 

 sequence, one is not surprised to find the bird-winged Papilios named 

 Orthoptera, although the author is critical enough to gird at hrookemia. 

 His paraphrase of Niceville's account of Tarucm theopJirastns is really 

 exciting. He says it belongs to a certain family of butterflies, entitled to 

 the scholarly name Sycaenidae. After detailing (on the authority of Mrs. 

 Wyllie) how a certain black ant milks these larva3, guides them down 

 the trunk of the tree, digs holes at the foot for them to pupate in, he 

 notes that finally, " if the earth at the base of the tree be removed, 

 chrysalids, and caterpillars that are about to turn into chrysaUds, are 

 clinging all round the trunks, whilst all amongst them are the ants, 

 helping to place this one or that one in position. The band thus 

 formed round the tree may be several inches broad and it is always 

 remarkably even, as though arranged on aesthetic principles." He 

 then goes on to state that " if the earth be removed, the ants become 

 agitated, and seizing hold of their property — for in this light they 

 consider the caterpillars — begin to rebury them, so that, in time, if 

 the annoyance continues, they will form a fresh circle of bodies lower 

 down the tree .... Here then is an ants' nest full of butterfly 

 chrysalids, and in about a week it becomes full of butterflies them- 

 selves, and amidst the rough black bodies of hosts of earth-working 

 Calibans, colours born of the rainbow gleam and flash from the fairy 

 wings of delicate insect Ariels. Each one of these was helped from 

 its cradle, thus strangely situated, by a little group of these gnomes, 

 who then asssisted it to unfold its wings, and guided its uncertain 

 steps," etc. This may be all absolutely accurate as to fact, as also 

 very many other similar passages, but it will serve to illustrate the 

 questions we should like to ask the author on many points raised. 

 With regard to this paragraph — If the " chrysalids and caterpillars 

 about to turn into chrysalids are clinging all round the trunk .... 

 in a band several inches broad," how does Mr. Selous consider the 

 chrysalids cling to the trunk in these closely packed bands arranged 

 on aesthetic principles ? If, as in the majority of Lycrenids, by a 

 silken cremastral pad and body girth, how do the agitated ants, 

 seizing their property, manage to get them away from their moorings ? 

 Having got them away from their moorings and reburied them, how do 

 they get them into position to form a fresh circle of bodies round the tree ? 

 Of course if they are not fastened up at all {see Niceville), one supposes 

 the busy ant may hold them for a week or two, especially as they help 

 each one from its cradle (we suppose pupa), and here we should like to 

 ask Mr. Selous what he thinks a blue butterfly would look like after 



