June 22, 1917] 



SCIENCE 



637 



ganism. On one side are the myriad strongly 

 constricted arterioles and, preventing the 

 blood's escape, the capillaries of the liver in- 

 tervening between the veins and the vena cava. 



Dr. Cannon's plan to restore this essential 

 blood to the systematic circulation, including 

 that of the dying central nervous system, is to 

 inject into the peritoneal cavity a properly 

 adapted solution of some powerful vaso eon- 

 strictant, preferably pituitrin. The expecta- 

 tion is that the hormone will osmose from the 

 outside of the omenta through the thin con- 

 nective tissue coverings of the veins and, by 

 forcing the constriction of the latter, impel a 

 liter or more of necessary blood into the badly 

 depressed vital organs. 



Dr. Cannon is in France, with his assistant, 

 putting this theory into humane use. The 

 whole world will wish him the best of success. 



G. V. N. D. 



CAMBRnXJB 



SCIENTIFIC BOOKS 



The Mosquitoes of North and Central 

 America and the West Indies. By L. O. 

 Howard, H. G. Dyae and F. Knab. (Car- 

 negie Institution of Washington.) Vol. 

 m. 1915. Vol. IV.. 1917. 

 The final part of this great work has at 

 last been issued, amid general rejoicings from 

 those interested in medical entomology, since 

 it contains a full account of the malaria-or- 

 ganism carrier. Anopheles. The two parts 

 containing the descriptive matter and syn- 

 onymy total 1,064 pages, and the treatment 

 is as full and exact as it could be made. 

 Under each species is a full list of references 

 to literature, followed by copies of the original 

 description and the descriptions of the syn- 

 onyms, if any. Then comes a detailed new 

 description of the adult insect, and of the 

 early stages when known, followed by a full 

 list of the localities from which specimens 

 have been received or recorded. Finally, 

 there is a discussion of the synonymy and re- 

 lationships. The yellow-fever mosquito alone 

 takes over sixteen pages. The reader fijids 

 before him practically all that is known of 

 the species treated, and the book will stand 



as a model of exhaustive discussion and clear 

 presentation. 



Some difference of opinion will exist re- 

 garding the names of some of the species. 

 The most troublesome case is that of the 

 yellow-fever mosquito. This important insect 

 has generally been known as Stegomyia 

 fasciata, or simply as Stegomyia, which has 

 almost become an English word. The name 

 fasciata being preoccupied, the name Stego- 

 myia calopus was substituted; but Dyar and 

 Knab regarded Stegomyia as part of Aides, 

 and called the species Aedes calopus. As 

 such it appears in the work reviewed, but a 

 footnote is added, pointing out that Culex 

 argenteus, proposed in 1787, is the oldest name. 

 Hence we are to write Aedes argenteus. Mr. 

 F. W. Edwards, of the British Museum, main- 

 tains Stegomyia as a genus, and according to 

 this plan it will be Stegomyia argentea 

 (Poiret). It is admitted that Stegomyia is 

 very different from the type of Aedes, and evi- 

 dently the question whether it should be gen- 

 erically separated is one concerning which 

 there may be legitimate difference of opinion. 

 Under these circumstances, in view of the 

 general usage by medical authorities, it would 

 seem better to recognize Stegomyia. 



Another sort of difficulty arises from the 

 mistakes of identification which have resulted 

 from the poor descriptions of early authors. 

 Thus the common species described at great 

 length as Culex territans Walker, and so re- 

 ferred to in numerous works, is now said by 

 Mr. Edwards, who examined Walker's type, 

 to be actually quite distinct. It takes the 

 name Culex saxatilis, and the real territans 

 is what has gone as Culex restuans of Theo- 

 bald. The result of this correction will be 

 that when Culex territans is referred to, it 

 will be difficult to tell which of the two species 

 is intended, and confusion must follow. 

 Walker's description was quite insufficient for 

 determination, and under these circumstances 

 it would seem proper to sink the name as un- 

 recognizable. The two insects concerned will 

 then stand as C. saxatilis and C. restuans. 



The Anopheles quadrimaculatus of authors 

 is also involved in difficulties. It is described 



