68 



SCmNGE. 



[N. S. Vol. XI. No. 263. 



This tasteful little volume contains an ac- 

 count of the life-history, habits, and distribution 

 of sixty-two species of the commoner butter- 

 flies, which are found in the Eastern States and 

 the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario. 

 It is illustrated by nine plates, eight of which are 

 done in colors, the other being a carefully exe- 

 cuted and faithful representation in black and 

 white of an enlargement of the interesting 

 chrysalis of Feniseca tarquinius, the curious 

 aphidivorous habits of the larva of which are 

 fully explained by the author. The illustra- 

 tions in the text are numerous and excellent, 

 and, with the plates, will enable the reader to 

 easily identify the species when encountered in 

 nature. 



The study of butterflies is every year gather- 

 ing new devotees, especially from the rapidly- 

 growing leisure class, and the ranks of the 

 young in our schools and colleges. No field of 

 observation is more accessible and interesting, 

 and none more likely to j'ield valuable results, 

 from the standpoint of the biologist, than that 

 of entomology. Books, like the one before us, 

 which combine scientific accuracy with a grate- 

 ful flavor of the woods and the fields, can not 

 fail to stimulate those who are their happy pos- 

 sessors to make researches, which will give 

 charm and delight to life, and may prove of 

 positive scientific interest. 



Everything which falls from the pen of Dr. 

 Scudder possesses the merit of literary grace, 

 and, with but very few exceptions, absolute 

 scientific accuracy. If any adverse criticism in 

 general could be passed upon the writings of 

 our learned friend, it is that in his zeal for pre- 

 cision of description and thoroughness of treat- 

 ment he at times becomes a little prolix. This, 

 however, is a trait wholly absent from the 

 pages of the present book, which are sprightly 

 and popular in style, while profoundly instruc- 

 tive. 



Issue must be [^taken with two statements 

 made by the author on page 281. In speaking 

 of the chrysalis of Feniseca tarquinius he says : 

 " Curiously enough, a similar ape's face is seen 

 in the chrysalis of an African butterfly of an- 

 other genus not very closely related to Feniseca, 

 and in an Indian species of the same Oriental 

 genus. Now, in these two cases there is a 



strong probability that their larval food is plant 

 lice." The reference is to the chrysalis of 

 Spalgis s-signata, Holland = S. lemolea, H. H. 

 Druce, which I had the pleasure of describing 

 and figuring in Psyche Vol. VI., p. 201, Plate 

 IV. , and to the chrysalis of SpaJgis epius, West- 

 wood, described and figured by Aitken in the 

 eighth volume of the Journal of the Bombay 

 Natural History Society, Plate A. A careful 

 examination of the structural peculiarities and 

 of the preliminary stages of the genus Spalgis 

 shows that it is very closely related to our 

 North American genus Feniseca, and any gen- 

 eral classification of the lepidoptera belonging 

 to the family Lj'csenidae which did not place 

 these genera in propinquity would be in error. 

 The statement of the author that in the case 

 of the two species of Spalgis mentioned " there 

 is a strong probability that their larval food is 

 plant lice," overlooks the fact that in both cases 

 the aphidivorous habits of the larvse have been 

 positively ascertained. 



Points like these relating to the habits of ex- 

 otic species, which are only alluded to in pass- 

 ing, do not in the slightest degree affect the 

 value of the book for the circle of readers for 

 which it is particularly intended, and it may be 

 recommended as altogether one of the most 

 pleasing and instructive contributions made in 

 recent months to a branch of science which is 

 daily growing in importance and popularity. 

 W. J. Holland. 



Carnegie Museum, Pittsbueg. 



Practical Exercises in Elementary Meteorology. 



Ginn & Co., Boston. 1899. Pp. xiii + 



199. 



One does not expect a laboratory manual to 

 be interesting, yet Mr. Ward's volume will 

 prove attractive reading to any one interested 

 in the teaching of meteorology. It contains 

 materials for laboratory work for all school 

 ages and includes the exercises that within a 

 few years constituted the laboratory work in 

 Mr. Ward's course at Harvard. 



The author does himself injustice when he 

 states the object of his book is "to lead the 

 pupil to the independent discovery of the most 

 important facts in our ordinary weather con- 

 ditions." The very judicious comments that 



