December 1, 1905.] 



SCIENCE. 



721 



Several of our species, previously considered 

 identical with European forms, he finds, upon 

 comparison, are distinct therefrom. Over two 

 hundred species are described as new. 



It is not often that catalogues of exotic in- 

 sects are issued by Americans; therefore, Mr. 

 Levi W. Mengel's catalogue^ of the Erycinidas 

 is all the more noteworthy. It is printed in 

 double columns; necessary references, with 

 dates, and synonymy are given ; the species are 

 numbered in the genera; there is a full index; 

 in short it is a very useful work to the student 

 of butterflies the world over. 



Mr. Lewis's catalogue of the Histeridse, a 

 family of beetles, will be a great boon to all who 

 wish to study the group.* It is a pamphlet of 

 81 pages, and lists 2,306 species. It appears 

 to be complete, but, unfortunately, there are a 

 few errors in localities and references. Mr. 

 Lewis's collection of these insects is by far 

 the most valuable in the world. 



A LARGE treatise on mosquitoes has been 

 published by Professor R. Blanchard.^ It at 

 once reminds one of Giles's English work, but 

 is not as technical. Part I. treats of the 

 morphology, anatomy, habits, metamorphoses 

 and parasites of mosquitoes. Part II. is a 

 systematic synopsis and list of all the known 

 species. He decides that the proper name of 

 the yellow fever mosquito is Stegomyia calopus 

 Meigen, 1818. Part III. relates to the med- 

 ical phase of the subject. Mosquitoes are 

 considered as agents in malaria, yellow fever, 

 filariasis, and in their probable relation to 

 other diseases. There are chapters on methods 

 of destroying larvae and adults, of abolishing 

 their breeding-places, of curing the diseases, 

 and finally on rearing and preparing speci- 

 mens. An appendix includes a list of recently- 

 described species, and a long bibliography. 

 Photographs of Eoss, Finlay, Manson and 

 Grassi adorn the pages. Many of the text 

 figures are from Dr. Howard's works. 



^'A Catalogue of the Erycinidse,' Reading, Pa., 

 May, 1905, pp. 161. 



* ' A Systematic Catalogue of Histeridse,' by 

 George Lewis; Taylor and Francis, London, 1905. 



° ' Les moustiques, histoire naturelle et m§di- 

 cale,' Paris, 1905, pp. 673, figs. 316. 



An elaborate book on the Anopheles mos- 

 quitoes of India is that by Messrs. S. P. James 

 and W. G. Listen." Part I. treats of the 

 habits, external anatomy, breeding-places and 

 methods of studying this genus of mosquitoes. 

 Part II. consists of technical descriptions of 

 23 species, arranged in 10 groups. Very sen- 

 sibly he neglects to make new genera for these 

 groups. A number of larvae are described and 

 figured, with details. There are many plates, 

 15 of which are colored and printed on a green 

 background, quite a novel feature in ento- 

 mology. 



An interesting arrangement of the genera 

 of Vespidse, or true wasps, is that by A. Ducke.^ 

 He believes that the nesting-habits is the clew 

 to the natural classification, and tabulates the 

 South American forms on this basis. Some 

 of the older genera are divided, and he has 

 added descriptions of a few new forms. The 

 plate represents the nests of two species of 

 Ghdrterginus, showing the opening on the 

 upper side. 



Dr. W. a. Schulz has issued a separate 

 publication under the title ' Hymenopteren- 

 Studien.' ^ It consists of three parts : Eirst, 

 a list of Hymenoptera collected in various 

 parts of North Africa, with notes and descrip- 

 tions of new forms; second, new genera and 

 species of Trigonalidse, describing, at great 

 length, several new types from South Amer- 

 ica; and third, a list of some Yespidas and 

 Apidse from the Amazon region, with descrip- 

 tions of a few new species. 



Nathan Banks. 



BOTANICAL NOTES. 

 INDEX OF NORTH AMERICA FUNGI. 



For many years. Professor Dr. Earlow, of 

 Harvard University, has had under prepara- 

 tion an index of the species of North Ameri- 

 can fungi which should serve as a guide to 

 the more important systematic literature. The 



' ' A Monograph of the Anopheles Mosquitoes of 

 India,' Calcutta, 1904, 132 pp., many plates. 



' ' Nouvelles contributions a la connaissance, des 

 Vespides sociaux de I'Amerique du Sud,' Rev. 

 d'Entom., 1905, pp. 5-24, 1 plate. 



^Leipzig, W. Engelmann, 1905; 147 pp., 13 text 

 figs. 



