1898.] 163 



in search of this early species, with which my experience has been very considerable. 

 It occurs, but very locally, on our heaths amongst its food-plant, Calluna vulgaris, 

 and is fully out with us in the middle of April, for I have taken it, and sometimes 

 plentifully, on almost every date between April 3rd and April 24th. It flies freely 

 from about 10.30 till noon, but only in hot sunshine, and when there is an entire 

 absence of wind. When the moth is not inclined to fly freely, the bag may often 

 be increased by sweeping, but only during sunshine, for the moment that any clouds 

 obscure the sun sweeping becomes quite useless ; the insect is at all times a wonder- 

 ful adept at feigning death, and my belief is that in the intervals when the sun 

 is obscured it drops straight down before the net can overtake it. On moi'nings 

 that are either sunless or in the least degree windy, it is, in my experience, mere 

 waste of time to try for the moth, which, doubtless, never stirs from its hiding place 

 near the ground. — Id. 



TWELETH EePOET ON THE InJUEIOITS AND OTHER INSECTS OF THE StATB 



OF New Yoek:, for the year 1896 : by J. A. Lintnee, Ph.D., State Entomologist. 

 Pp. 399, with 15 plates and numerous figures in the text. Albany : University of 

 the State of New York. 1897. 



It has always been a pleasure to us to notice Dr. Lintner's Eeports. The last, 

 that now before us, is fully equal to its predecessors in interest and utility, and treats 

 of such a variety of subjects that it is impossible to allude to them here in detail. 

 As bearing on the subject of the " San Jose Scale," and its possible introduction into 

 this country, it may be some satisfaction to read that the greater part of the State 

 of New York seems unsuited to it. The much abused English Sparrow is given the 

 credit of doing good by destroying the " Army Worm ;" on the other hand " that 

 notorious public pest " is said to be an important agent in distributing the " Elm 

 Tree Bark Louse," through the active young larvEe clinging to its feathers. The 

 plates and the numerous text illustrations are excellent. 



The Insects of Aldeeney : by W. A. Luff. Eeprinted from the " Trans- 

 actions of the Guernsey Society of Natural Science " for 1897. 8-pp. Svo. 



The compiler of this list deserves great praise for the assiduous manner in 

 which, for many years, he has made known the insect productions of the Channel 

 Islands in the face of manifest discouragement, for on the one hand they are not 

 recognised as " British," and on the other are not always considered to pertain to the 

 fauna of France although our Botanists do not hesitate to include the plants in the 

 British List. From its out of the way position Alderney is the least frequented of 

 all the islands, so the greater is the credit due to any one who puts together a List 

 of the species observed. All Orders are included, yet the List is only short, and 

 manifestly will be greatly added to if the island is visited by specialists in the less 

 worked Orders. Only one species {Eubolia peribolata) is indicated as not " British," 

 but there may be others to which the indication is not added ; this, however, is 

 doubtful. In some cases (in Liptera for example) it is evident that the names 

 require verifying by experts. 



