io6 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XX. No. 4( 



latter iu Europe by about half a dozen and in America by twenty- 

 five species; while Carabus is represented in Europe and Asia by 

 the respectable number of 100, and in America by a short dozen 

 species. 



My favorite family of Poelaphidce, unlike their relatives, the 

 StaphilinidsB, seem not very apt to migrate on the lines of com- 

 merce, but extend over a space of 60° latitude north and south. 



In the colder 3egions of the north the species of one genus in- 

 habiting both continents are very similar, while the tropical and 

 southern genera, with a comparatively small number of species, 

 differ in form so much that they can hardly be retained under one 

 nnme. 



Their habits, which suffer an involuntary modification by 

 transportation through atmospheric forces into localities of differ- 

 ent nature, produced in the fittest to suri'ive changes of the most 

 grotesque forms, and by repeated dislocations contined them in 

 circumscribed localities. 



This holds good for the tropical forms of this family in the large 

 continents; but there are examples of genera occurring in places 

 far apart. Tmesiphorus, Tyrus, and Hamotus are of that nature. 

 To the latter belong Upulonaraffray and Cercocerus leconte, which 

 differ, according to M. Raffray, by the more elongated form of 

 the last joint of the maxillary paljoi in Cercocerus, and the former 

 occurs in the Friendly Islands, and the latter, together with the 

 rest; of Hamotus, is found in the western regions and on the Pacific 

 coa^t of America, north and south. 



The streams of the Pacific Ocean are directed from west to east, 

 and therefore would not allow a migration against the stream ; 

 consequently the original abode of those species must have been 

 situated in the west of America, and their migration, considering 

 the multiplication of forms in America, must date back to the re- 

 motest ages. 



The Tenebrionidse present a typical family of non-migrating 

 beetles. The large majority of tenebrionide genera are wingless. 

 They are slow in motion, and live on dead animal and vegetable 

 matter. The generic forms of most of those in America are but 

 distantly related to those of the eastern continent. The genera 

 common to both continents are few, and the few immigrant 

 species are winged, with one exception recently found — Blaps 

 mortiraga — and such genera, which are at present assumed to be 

 common to both lands (as Asida), owe their name to the now ac- 

 cepted basis of analytical marks. 



The existence of these analogical forms can be explained only 

 by the different geological and geographical conditions of the sur- 

 face of the earth in remote ages. But there is always to be con- 

 sidered the axiom that similar conditions produce similar forms. 



Emil Beendel. 



Cause of a National Trait. 



It is a matter of common observation that Hebrews, as a rule, 

 are more than ordinarily devoted to their families, and their home- 

 life is beautiful in many ways. As everything has a cause, the 

 most plausible one in this regard appears to me to be the severe 

 persecutions to which that race has been subjected for centuries, 

 compelling clannishness and affording them their greatest happi- 

 ness at home. Persistent influences acting through numberless 

 generations would surely institute a racial peculiarity such as 

 this. S. V. Clevengek. 



Cliicago, Aug. 15. 



Review of some Recent Publications of the U. S. National 

 Museum. 



Foe some time past the National Museum has been following 

 the very desirable plan of issuing, in separate pamphlet form, the 

 contributions of those authors who publish in the Proceedings or 

 other reports of that institution. These pamphlets are uniformly 

 contained in neat paper-covers, tasteful in color, and bear upon 

 the outside page the title and author of the article and its num- 

 ber, from what standard publication of the Museum extracted, 

 and, finally, the volume, pages, and plates (if any) of the latter. 

 It would be well, indeed, if other institutions and societies always 



followed suit in these last two features, for if one thing be more 

 annoying than another to a worker in science with a working 

 library, it is to receive reprints of papers that bear nowhere upon 

 them this very important information; especially when an author 

 desires to quote from reprints that have been submitted to him. 

 At this date the Museum has issued a number of pamphlets of the 

 character to which the attention of the reader has just been 

 drawn, and it is believed that brief remarks upon these may 

 prove to be of interest. 



In No. 898 Mrs. M Burton Wdliamson gives '• An Annotated 

 List of the Shells of San Pedro Bay and Vicinity," in which two 

 new species are described by W. H. Dall. This list is brought 

 quite up to date, carefully describes a great many species, is sys- 

 tematically arranged, and is illustrated by 38 excellent figures on 

 plates. It will, no doubt, prove of use and value to the con- 

 chologists of the Pacific coast and elsewhere. Dr. Edwin Linton, 

 in No. 893, gives some very full and valuable " Notes on Avian 

 E.itozoa," illustrated by nearly 100 figures of structural details. 

 Entozoa found in specimens of Lams oalifornicus, Fuligula val- 

 lisneria, Oedemia americana, and Peleeatms erythrorhynchus are 

 described, in addition to parasites found in other birds collected 

 by Mr. P. L. Jouy at Guaymas, Mexico. "One new genus was 

 m( t with among the parasites of the duck, Oedemia americana. 

 This genus, which I have named Epision, is characterized by a 

 singular modification of the anterior part of the body into an or- 

 gan for absorption and adhesion." In a brief paper, entitled " A 

 Maid of Wolpai," with one plate. Dr. R. W. Shufeldt gives an ac- 

 count of the customs and dress of the young women of that 

 Pueblo (No. 889) ; and the same writer, in another paper (No. 902) 

 entitled -'The Evolution of House Building among the Navajo 

 Indians," describes the gradual improvement observed by him in 

 the building of their houses by those Indians in New Mexico, 

 since their contact with the whites The paper is accompanied 

 by three plates illustrating the subject. Lieut. T. Dix Bolles of 

 the navy comments briefly on "Chinese Relics in Alaska" (No. 

 899, one plate), and from his studies of them he is forced to be- 

 lieve that at least two centuries ago a Chinese junk must have 

 been driven upon the Alaskan coast. A very useful paper is that 

 by Mary J. Rathbun, giving a " Catalogue of the Crabs of the 

 Family Periceridse in the TJ. S. National Museum" (No. 901), and 

 it is illustrated by numerous figures of various species of that 

 group Papers of this class are especially desirable, and at the 

 time of its appearance there were to be found in the collections 

 of the Museum 48 species of Periceridce, for which a valuable 

 synonomy is given, with a "Key" to genera and species. Akin 

 to this last is still another beautifully illustrated paper by Mr. 

 .James E. Benedict, on " Corystoid Crabs of the genera Telmessus 

 and Erimacrus." Very little is known of these forms, and the 

 writer's article is based on specimens collected in Alaska by Dall, 

 and on the Albatross collections (No. 900). No less interesting 

 are two admirable papers by Dr. Leonhard Stejneger, both of 

 which are illustrated (Nos. 894, 904). The first gives a " Prelimi- 

 nary description of a new Genus and Species of Blind Cave Sala- 

 mander from North America," — a remarkable form from the 

 Rock House Cave, Missouri. "A new genus and species of sala- 

 mander may not be such a startling novelty even at this late date, 

 but the interest is considerably heightened when we have to do 

 with the first and only blind form among the true salamanders." 

 It has been named by the author Typhlotriton spelceus. Dr. 

 Stejneger's second paper is of considerable length, presenting, as 

 it does, extensive " Notes on a Collection of Birds made by Harry 

 V. Henson in the Island of Yeso, Japan." It contains many ex- 

 cellent embryological plates. Professor Carl H. Eigenmann, in 

 No. 897, makes a contribution to the study of "The Fishes of 

 San Diego," in which " especial attention has been paid to the 

 spawning habits and seasons, the embryology, and migration of 

 the fishes of Southern California." The paper is of great eco- 

 nomic value, and lacks not in interest to the anatomist. 



Finally, we have three very thorough entomological articles 

 from the pen of Dr. John B. Smith (Nos. 890-892). They deal 

 with a " Revision of the Genus CucuUia; Revision of the Dicopi- 

 nse; Revision of Xylomiges and Morrisonia" (plates II., III.). 

 These contributions will be welcomed by the entomologist, fully 



