Maech 25, 1904.] 



SCIENCE. 



501 



a few from Frisch (1775) and a considerable 

 number from Billberg (1828), and others pro- 

 posed during 1903. These eaviy names are 

 fortunately merely nomina nuda, or synonyms, 

 or otherwise untenable. The appendix also 

 includes several pages of corrections, some of 

 them important, affecting the authorities for 

 a few genera given in Part I., and in one case 

 the orthography of a name, Tayassu G. Fischer 

 (1814) becoming Tagassu Frisch (1775), with 

 a corresponding change in the family name 

 based on this genus. 



It can not be supposed that a work of this 

 character can be entirely free of errors, but 

 with the great care taken in the preparation 

 of the manuscript (see p. 11) they are doubt- 

 less reduced as nearly to a minimum as can 

 reasonably be expected. The work embodies 

 the results of a vast amount of labor, for 

 which mammalogists can not be too grateful; 

 it has set a high standard for future workers 

 in the same line to emulate; and has placed 

 in the hands of experts in nomenclature an 

 invaluable aid in their work. J. A. A. 



Monograph of the Coccidm of the British Isles. 



By Egbert ISTewstead. Vol. 2. London, 



Eay Society, 1903. Pp. 270; 41 plates. 



The long-expected second volume of Mr. 

 Newstead's monograph is at last to hand, and 

 we have in the completed work the best treatise 

 on the Coccidse yet published. The beautiful 

 colored plates, the excellent notes on habits 

 and modes of occurrence and other good fea- 

 tures maintain the high standard set in the 

 first volume; and as before, many of the spe- 

 cies are as familiar in America as they are in 

 England. 



The nomenclature employed is in most cases 

 very different from that of Mrs. Fernald's new 

 catalogue, although the more recent views are 

 discussed in an appendix. Mrs. Fernald's 

 catalogue had not appeared when Mr. New- 

 stead's volume went to presa, which is to be 

 regretted, as it contains much bibliographical 

 matter which would have been of service to 

 the author. In the present state of coccidol- 

 ogy any writer may well be excused for not 

 accepting all the recently proposed innova- 

 tions; but it does seem to me that some of 



them stand on unassailable ground, and should 

 not be resisted by any logically minded person. 

 For example, Pseudococcus can not be allowed 

 to stand for species, none of which were placed 

 therein by the describer of the genus. 



As regards both genera and species, Mr. 

 Newstead is a ' lumper,' though by no means 

 a reckless one. I have been studying his ex- 

 cellent descriptions and figures, and find that, 

 according to the system represented by Mrs. 

 Fernald's catalogue, the following changes 

 (among others) should be made : 



Lecanopsis formicarum, Newst., becomes 

 Spermococcus formicarum. 



Daciylopius pulverarius, Newst., becomes 

 Trionymus pulverarius. 



Bipersia terrestris, Newst., becomes Rhi- 

 zoscus terrestris. 



Ripersia halophila (Hardy) becomes Riper- 

 siella halophila. 



Thus four genera are added to the British 

 fauna; the third, however, evidently intro- 

 duced by man. The indication of these gen- 

 eric relationships, whatever may be thought 

 of the genera, is strongly suggestive of certain 

 specific resemblances. It is not improbable 

 that future careful comparisons will bring to 

 light some synonymy. 



If, as Mr. Newstead holds, all the British 

 forms of Phenacoccus (he calls them Pseudo- 

 coccus) are of one species, the conclusion 

 seems almost irresistible that Phenacoccus 

 pruni {Coccus pruni, Burm., 1849) is its 

 proper name. According to Mr. Newstead's 

 figures, the second antennal joint, while usu- 

 ally considerably longer than the third, varies 

 to about equal with it. Among our American 

 species, these joints also vary, but we have 

 recognized what appear to be three different 

 types, not normally intergrading : 



1. Second and third joints nearly equal. 

 P. dearnessi, ruiivorus, minimus, spiniferus, 

 acericola. 



2. Second conspicuously longer than third. 

 P. solenopsis, helianthi, wilmattm, o/rtemisiw, 

 cevallice. 



3. Third conspicuously longer than second. 

 P. oshorni, simplex, stachyos. 



These species of course have other peculiari- 

 ties, but I certainly have believed that the 



