126 BULLETIN BROOKLYN ENTOM. SOC. VOL. VIL January 1885. 
Mrs. C. H. Fernald sends with a label N. H. an insect doubt 
fully marked Xylna ¢epida, var Comparison with European material 
proves it to be Xylina igrica, H. Sch. ‘The species must be added to 
our fauna if the locality is correct. 
* 
Dr. S. W. Williston of New Haven sends for publication a classifi— 
cation of the Syrphidae and writes: “I have had so many requests for in- 
formation in regard to classification of Diptera that I have concluded to 
devote all my study the coming year to the preparation of synopses of 
the different families, excluding the family Jfuscidae in its widest 
sense.” 
This is good news and will, we hope, create an interest in this neg— 
lected order there are a few other neglected orders, and if some 
of the few gentlemen engaged in their study would follow Dr. 
Williston’s example and send us papers on family andgeneric classi- 
fication some of the amateurs, who now turn to Coleoptera and 
Lepidoptera because they can learn nothing of other orders, would 
become Dvpierists, Orthoplerisis or Hymenoplerists Prof. Osborn has 
promised us a classification of Hemzptera, and Mr. Bruner one of Or— 
thoptera. We shall try and stir up an yas \europt.rists, and 
if possibie a student of the Arz hnidaz. 
* k 
* 
The Bulletin is a little late this month, but that is the printer’s fault 
He says: Christmas and New Year come but once a year, while the Bul- 
letin comes once a month. All sorts of concert programmes, cards, &c 
were shoved ahead of the ‘‘Bulletin’, after it was half in type and partly 
printed. Weare sorry it occured, but take this opportunity of wishing 
all our readers a very happy New Year. 
BOOK NOTICE. 
Revision of the STESNINI of America North of Mexico, ‘‘By Thos. L. Casey, 
Lieut. of Eng’rs, Member of the Entomological Society of France”, pp. 206 and 
1 plate. This paper we have received from the author. In it the Stenini are 
carefully studied, and 174 species belonging to our fauna are described, the great 
majority new. The descriptions are models of completeness—-perhaps unneces- 
sarily complete, because group characteristics are repeated in each description: 
the synoptic tables appear clear and Mr. Casey is careful to define the terms 
