20 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



NOTICES BY JOHN T. CARRINGTON. 



The Young Beetle-Collector's Handbook. By Dr. 

 E. Hofman, with an introduction by W. Egmont 

 Kirby, M.D. 178 pp. 8vo, illustrated by 20 

 coloured plates. (London : Swan Sonnenschein. 

 New York : Macmillan and Co., 1897.) Price 

 4s. 6d. 



If brightly-coloured pictures will help to induce 

 young people to take up the study of the coleoptera, 

 we should find a large accession to the numbers 

 who take active interest in beetles. The collector, 

 with the aid of this little work, will be able to make 

 out without much difficulty at least the generic 

 characteristics of most of the beetles he meets 

 with, and so be led on to getting his specific 

 identification elsewhere for the more obscure 

 species. The work was originally published in 

 Germany by Dr. Hofman, who is the curator of 

 the Royal Natural History Museum at Stuttgart. 

 It therefore contains figures of some species which 

 are not counted as British. This is an advantage, 

 as it will, we hope, lead the collector of our native 

 species to broader lines of thought than used to be 

 common among English entomologists. Those 

 British species which are figured are clearly 

 indicated in the text, so there need not be any 

 confusion as to which are native or otherwise.. Dr. 

 Kirby's introduction is commendably short, and 

 contains instructions for collecting and preserva- 

 tion. We should like to have seen a little more 

 space devoted to suggestions for breeding these 

 insects, whose life-histories are so little understood 

 when compared with those of our butterflies, 

 moths and saw-flies. The coleopterists have an 

 immense field still open for such investigations, 

 as the cycle of metamorphosis and individual 

 habits of but few of our three thousand 

 species have ever been worked out. Any field- 

 naturalist taking up that branch of study has 

 full opportunity of becoming celebrated. The 

 plates contain upwards of 500 figures, and those 

 of many of the larger species are excellent ; 

 but we fear, beyond getting an idea as to the generic 

 character, many of the smaller are not much use 

 for identification. This is almost certain to occur 

 with coloured figures of the more obscure, because 

 their differentiation depends upon structure rather 

 than colour. As a whole we can recommend this 

 work as being one which is likely to induce many 

 to collect, and be to their assistance until they get 

 past the stage of beginners' books. 



Entomological Society of Ontario. Twenty-seventh 

 Annual Report, for 1896. 127 pp. royal 8vo, 

 illustrated by 103 figures. (Toronto : Ontario 

 Department of Agriculture, 1897.) 



The entomological societies of Canada are far in 

 advance of those in this country, in so much as 

 they get their publications issued at Government 

 expense. This is a most fortunate thing, as it is 

 the means of much information being circulated 

 which could not otherwise be placed at the disposal 

 of the public. The report now before us contains 



a mass of information of all kinds relating to 

 insects. One paper is devoted to " Some Insec- 

 tivorous Mammals," with illustrations. Another, 

 also illustrated, is on " Entomology for Rural 

 Schools," and another on "The Importance of 

 Entomological Studies to an Agricultural and 

 Fruit-growing Community," which latter takes for 

 its text : " The study of entomology is necessary, 

 that the agriculturalists and fruit-growers may 

 make the most of their insect friends." In fact, we 

 can easily trace, in the great attention which is given 

 by the Canadian entomologists to the economic 

 aspect of their studies, the Government financial 

 assistance which is so envied by our societies in this 

 country. We hardly expect to find that their 

 influence will gain such pecuniary aid, even in a 

 small degree, from our county councils, while the 

 whole attention of their members is devoted to 

 species splitting and the nomenclature of Insecta. 

 There are few countries where the economic side 

 of entomology is more neglected by the ordinary 

 collector than it is in Britain. 



The Flora of the Alps. By Alfred W. Bennett, 

 M.A., B.Sc, F.L.S., with 120 coloured illustra- 

 tions. Vol. i., part 2. (London : John C. Nimmo, 

 1897.) Price 2s. 6d. net. 



We fully noticed this handsome work in our last 

 issue, and can only add that every one interested in 

 wild flowers, either whilst travelling in mountainous 

 Europe, or in growing them at home in Alpine 

 gardens, should at once subscribe for this book. 

 Part 2 contains thirteen coloured plates. 



British Game Birds and Wild Fowl. By Beverley 

 R. Morris, M.D. Revised by W. B. Tegetmiek, 

 F.Z.S. Illustrated by coloured plates. Vol. i., 

 part 2. (London : John C. Nimmo, 1897.) Price 

 2s. 6d. net per part. 



The second part of this work has reached us, and 

 contains descriptions of black-grouse and red- 

 grouse, with plates of the latter and ptarmigan. 

 The re-issue of this work is a grand acquisition to 

 the library of sportsman-naturalists. As stated 

 last month, the work is to be completed in twelve 

 parts. 



Journal of the Essex Technical Laboratories. No. 

 26. April and May, 1897. 28 pp. Svo, illustrated. 

 (Chelmsford : County Technical Laboratories.) 

 Price 3d. 



The excellence of this publication is well 

 maintained, and this number is full of useful 

 information. We recommend many of our 

 readers to subscribe for this serial as being of more 

 than local interest. 



The Story of the Earth's Atmosphere. By Douglas 

 Archibald, M.A. 208 pp. 16 mo, illustrated by 

 42 figs. (London : George Newnes, Limited, 1897.) 

 Price is. 



It has seldom been our pleasure to find so much 

 information compressed, in most readable form, in 

 so small a book. Mr. Archibald has the faculty 

 for telling such a story as this in the most enter- 

 taining manner. The same in the hands of some 

 men would have left the printers a mass of high 

 and dry science, doubtless scrupulously correct, 

 but unreadable by the multitude. We cannot too 

 strongly recommend our readers to get this work ; 

 to most of them it will open new lines of thought, 

 where food for it may be daily found surrounding 

 them. The author's style is just what is wanted 

 for this series — free, but not flippant, and im- 

 pressive in his knowledge of the subject. 



