SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



273 



families, containing some of the largesl and 

 1 1 1 1 >—i showy of the diptera, will appeal to 

 the general entomologist, and probablj the 

 book will do more than anything which has 

 hitherto been published to create a taste 

 for the study of the diptera The beginner 

 will find within its covers ample mat dial to 

 fully occupy his time for Long hence, with- 

 out troubling himself aboul other families 

 oi' our two-winged Hies. This fact may be 

 gathered on examining the catalogue of 

 species at the end of the book, which occu- 

 pies no less than 120 pages. In this cata- 

 logue are included references to the descrip- 

 tion of each species in the chief works on 

 diptera by other writers. The beginner also 

 will find a nine-page introduction to the 

 study of Diptera Cyclorrhapha that will 

 clear the way of initial difficulties, and by 

 aid of the score or so of illustrations enable 

 him at once to commence his study with- 

 out further assistance. The illustrations 

 in this work are by Mr. Verrall's scientific 

 assistant. Mr. J. E." Collin. F.E.S.. and are 



Sjili.i 'vophoria scripta. .Male. Length In mm. 



Cliih'sin ilhtstrata. Leutrth '.» mm 



hunting-ground for diptera 



It is about an acre in extent, 

 on the border- of Newmarket, 

 in Cambridgeshire. He esti- 

 mates that he has there taken 

 at least 500 species of diptera, 

 and about a hundred species 

 on his study window. In 

 the book is a list of reputed 

 British Syrphidae, and also 

 of species occurring- in Bri- 

 tain and North America. The 

 work is embellished with a 

 frontispiece portrait of Dr. 

 J oh. Wilh. Meigen, an eminent 

 dipterist, who lived between 

 1764 and 1845, being copied 

 from a quaint print. No 

 entomologist or scientific 

 library can afford to be 

 without Mr. Verrall's new 

 volume on British flies. 



characterised by the extremely careful 

 manner in which they have been por- 

 trayed, accuracy evidently being the 

 artist's strong point. The figure- arc 

 necessarily enlarged, but the natural 

 size of each species is found with the 

 description. By permission of the pub- 

 lishers we reproduce some of these as 

 examples. Without finding fault with 

 the drawing, perhaps it would be better 

 if the artist would in future use a tine- 

 pointed pen, as we think he could 

 therewith attain greater delicacy in 

 delineation. A curious feature appears 

 on page 666, beim: ■•Species in horto 

 meo." This list of forty-seven, equal- 

 ling twenty-three per cent, of the 

 known British species, should encoui'age 

 would-be dipterists to look to their own 

 gardens for a commencement. Mr. 

 Verrall's has. indeed, proved a prolific 



Ascia podagrica. Male. Length 5$ mm 

 (.From Verrall's "British Plies.") 



