252 THE KXTOMOLOGIST's ISECORD. 



complete and accurate ('atdl'ii/iit, in wliich all doubtful records are 

 criticised in the light of modern research and knowledge. The author's 

 conservatism in matters lepidopterological leads him to adopt the 

 arrangement of three-quarters of a century ago, and hence we find the 

 Anthrocerids and Sesiids united with the Sphingina, the Cossids, 

 Hepialids, Nolids, Lithosiids (including the Arctiids), Liparids (which 

 include the Psychids, Lasiocampids, Saturniids, and Drepanids), and 

 Notodonts under the term ]^>ombycina, itc, but in a reference list this 

 matters little, the important point being to find the information one 

 wants readily and without loss of time. ]^ut one cannot help asking 

 why the author makes I'ohiiionia r-alhiiui congeneric with ]'au('ssa ia, 

 why H('iiia(iis and ( 'assiis are placed in the family Zeuzcf'ulae, why the 

 Psychids are placed with the IJpariddr, and Avhy the Lasiocampids, 

 Saturniids, and Drepanids find themselves in the same family? Is 

 our author sure, too, that calrdla (= hirsii fella) is an KpuJnwpteri/.r, 

 or that airmiffa is a Hi/drilla ! Can he tell us, too, Avhy Ih-jjoplnla 

 jii'rla finds itself between HcUnilcs arhiiti and l'lii/ti))iietra acmri, and 

 S(in-i)t/ii'i]i(( rcrdijana between Aiinrta iinfrtilli mid (io)i(>]>tirii lilxitri.c .' 

 We ask these questions in no carping spirit, but simply because we 

 believe that every entomologist of repute and wide knowledge makes 

 no such startling innovations without reasons, which, we can readily 

 understand, cannot be given in a Vatahxinc To suggest, however, 

 that these features really detract from a ('atahxjKe well-conceived and 

 excellently carried out is absurd, and the information given is so exact 

 and important that no entomologist can really afford to be without it. 

 We can only hope that for the advantage of our study the second part 

 may be issued .without undue delay and that the boon that the author 

 has conferred on all those Avho are interested in the geographical 

 distribution of our species so far as the families already dealt with are 

 concerned, may be extended to those who are interested in the smaller 

 species at as early a date as possible. The Cataloi/Kc is, on the whole, 

 well printed, although the printers have muddled up capital and small 

 initial letters for specific names in a marvellous way and have with a 

 most independent hand placed authors' names in or out of l)rackets 

 apparently as the fancy pleased them. 



Die Palaearktischen (Iross-schmetterlinge und mRE Natur- 

 OEscHicHTE, Band ii., Abt. 1., Bearbeitet von Max Bartel fPt. i., 

 pp. 48. Ernst Heyne, Leipzig, 1899. Price Is. 6d.] . — The first 

 volume of this excellent work (written by the late Fritz Eiihl) has 

 become probably the most widely used of the many books on Pahi;- 

 arctic butterflies, and the present part (the first of the second volume) 

 relating to the moths, suggests that, when complete, this will be ns 

 useful as its predecessor. So far as it goes, the information relating 

 to the species already treated of, appears to be excellent, and the 

 general i-emarks on the ■^pliini/idac (the family with which the Aolume 

 opens) appear to be useful and to the point. It is certainly a book for 

 the library of every entomologist, and we trust that lepidopterists will 

 generously support Mr. Heyne in his attempt to give us a Avork that 

 deals with the Pahearctic moths in such a form that their life-history, 

 variation, and distribution over the Pabi'arctic area, can be at once 

 discovered without wading through a multitude of Continental 

 magazines, the series of some of which are now commencing to assume 

 alarming proportions. 



