SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



17 



and up to modern knowledge. Part iv. of this 

 work is now issued, and quite maintains the good 

 promise foretold by the earlier numbers. The bats 

 are completed, as are the Insectivores, and the 

 description of the Carnivora is commenced. 

 Among the bats there is an interesting account 

 of vampires. The chapter on the insect-eating 

 animals covers some forty pages, treating of 

 Cobegos, shrews, tree-shrews, jumping-shrews, 

 water-shrews, hedgehogs, moles — web-footed, 

 hairy-tailed, star-nosed, and many other animals. 

 There is an excellent introduction to the Carnivora. 



Our Household Insects. An account of the Insect 

 Pests found in Dwelling-houses. By Edward A. 

 Butler, B.A., B.Sc. 8vo, 348 pp., illustrated. 

 Price 6s. (London : Longmans, Green and Co., 



1893) 



Mr. Butler has reprinted, in book form, a series 

 of articles which he contributed to our contemporary, 

 " Knowledge," and has been well advised in so doing . 

 " Our Household Insects " is a book which should 

 be in the library of every country house, and indeed, 

 in many town houses as well. It will be most 

 convenient for reference, when those frequent dis- 





Hedgehogs [from the "Royal Natural History"). 



In this portion of the work Mr. Lydekker should 

 be at his best, for his reputation as a zoologist is 

 largely founded on these animals. The illustrations 

 are generally excellent, and we reproduce one of 

 hedgehogs as an example. In a popular work such 

 as this, it appears to be usual to give coloured plates 

 — even Knight years ago did that — but we prefer the 

 wood-blocks. Still there are two handsome coloured 

 drawings in this part, one of a Jaguar and another 

 of Tibetan shrews. This new " Royal Natural 

 History " bids fair to be by far the best of the 

 popular works on the subject. 



cussions occur in the family circle, as to whether 

 some creature or other is a black-beetle or cock- 

 roach. Persons will then, by referring to " Butler," 

 be delighted to discover that it is neither the one 

 nor the other. There is nothing new in this work 

 for the advanced entomologist, though those who 

 have only studied one order, such as the lepidoptera, 

 will find this handy work useful for reference, when 

 appealed to as referee on such occasions as just 

 mentioned. There will be one disappointment for the 

 house-wife, who will find a full account of her insect 

 enemies, and the damage they can effect, but few 



