SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



231 



are likely to be of slight importance in the defini- 

 tion of groups ; whilst neuration occupies a high 

 position." 



The division headed " Phylogeny " (or the scheme 

 of descent of a group) is carefully written. Under 

 " Method of Arrangement," we find our author, 

 saying, " the natural order of arrangement, which 

 is that of a much-branched tree, cannot be 

 adequately expressed by a simple linear succession, 

 such as is alone practicable in a book. It is, how- 

 ever, possible to devise a linear succession which 

 shall be consistent with the natural genealogical 

 order, if some additional explanation can be given." 

 This, we find, he has done by means of a simple 

 figure, which we reproduce. " Suppose the 



accompanying diagram represents a portion of the 

 genealogical tree : then the order will begin at m 

 and descend to k, recommence at I and descend to k 

 and thence to g, recommence at h and descend to g 

 and thence to b, recommence at /and descend to d, 

 recommence at e and descend to d and thence to b, 

 recommence at c and descend to b and thence to a, 

 and so on. Thus the order begins with the most 

 recently-developed forms and descends gradually 

 to the earliest, or most ancestral, which are the 

 last in the book. To understand the order in 

 practice, it may be assumed that each genus is 

 descended from that which immediately follows it 

 in the book. This system has been adhered to 

 throughout, and after a little use will not be 

 found unintelligible. If adopted in the arrange- 

 ment of a collection in the cabinet, it would be a 

 good plan to indicate the recommencement of a 

 fresh branch by a special mark, such as a red bar 

 drawn across the first (or highest) species. In the 

 arrangement of species within each genus the same 

 plan has been followed ; but since a more intimate 

 study of very minute points than has been here 

 possible would be required to ascertain accurately 

 the mutual affinities of forms which are often very 

 closely related together, it has not been thought 

 necessary to enter into a very precise explanation 

 of their order." 



In our opening paragraph of this notice of 

 Mr. Meyrick's book we refer to his having written 

 it somewhat too early for his experience. What 

 we mean is summed up in the last sentence quoted ; 

 and we may at once state that although we consider 

 the general plan of his work good in theory, before 

 it can be generally accepted it will require not only 

 much more attention to detail on its author's part, . 

 but all the assistance and experience that others 

 can give him in this direction. The tendency to 



" lump " together species is too evident, and we 

 doubt whether the author's familiarity with our 

 British species is sufficient to make his classification 

 accepted without much question. While holding 

 Mr. Meyrick's thoughts and work, as expressed in his 

 book, with high respect, we feel that he has not 

 taken into consideration a sufficient number of 

 characters to found a system of arrangement which 

 will last without modification. No one series of 

 characters, whether they be of structure in the 

 perfect stage, pupa, larva, or of the ovum, or, 

 indeed, any one other series will found a basis for 

 classification. Our view is that he has depended 

 too much on neuration, important as is that feature, 

 to the exclusion of other points equally worthy of 

 examination. This refers especially to his group 

 Psychina. The descent of some of our species, if 

 defined by neuration alone, is belied when we 

 examine the structure of the earlier stages and 

 the life-history of the animals. As a model of 

 what a student's manual should be we consider 

 Mr. Meyrick's handbook to be almost perfect. The 

 tabulation is good, the system of description 

 excellent, and the absence of repetition remarkable. 

 The pruning process after writing must have been 

 unsparing, and if the book has a fault in construc- 

 tion it may be attributed to over-condensation ; but 

 this is a doubtful fault. 



We believe this book will give a great impetus to 

 the study of the lepidop tera apart from their collection 

 and arrangement in "rows." It will do more to 

 effect this than all the scorn of workers in other 

 groups of biology, who have too readily referred to 

 lepidopterists as only "fly-catchers," though not 

 without reason. 



It was necessary for some one to do this work in 

 the first instance, and we congratulate Air. Meyrick 

 on its production, for, as we have said, the raising 

 of the standard of revolution in the science of 

 lepidopterology has come, and having once been 

 raised, we seriously doubt whether any amount of 

 conservatism or prejudice on the part of lepidop- 

 terists of this country can extinguish the fire which 

 the author of this book has fanned into a blaze of 

 light. The material for such fire has long been 

 ready, and Mr. Meyrick will find a large number 

 attracted to the beacon. 



John T. Carkington. 



The Department of Agriculture at Washington 

 has publishad a " Revision of the Aphelininae of 

 North America," by Mr. L. O. Howard, Govern- 

 ment Entomologist. It is the first number of a 

 proposed technical series of bulletins, intended 

 especially for working entomologists, learned 

 societies and libraries. It will form a most valu- 

 able contribution to the literature of scientific 

 entomological research. The Aphelininae are a 

 group of very minute hymenopterous insects of 

 great economic importance, since they comprise 

 the parasites of destructive scale insects. 



