REVIEWS AND NOTICES OF BOOKS. 195 
would therefore seem to be in a bad way, more especially as it is 
found that a little kerosene dropped on the surface of the puddles he 
frequents puts an end to him. The ‘mere collector’’ will perhaps 
take note of this, in order that he may lay in a store of the Anopheles 
before it is too late; we are afraid, however, that it will be long before 
the species will be extinct. There is a pleasant account by Mr. Adkin 
of summer days by the seaside, including an important observation of 
the immigration of Pieris rapae. We are glad to learn from this paper 
that Polyommatus corydon and LP. bellargus are as abundant as ever on 
the Sussex downs. Hermit crabs and land shells are among the objects 
observed and noted, as are many rare plants; and most of the orders 
of insects have their part in the Proceedings of this society—Lepidop- 
tera, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Neuroptera, Odonata, Hymenoptera, and 
Diptera. There were 23 meetings in the year, at which, apart from 
the exhibition of specimens—in itself a sufficient raison d’étre for such 
a society—hiological questions of importance were discussed, and the 
society may be congratulated on its success and usefulness. Some of 
the papers published by it are distinctly valuable from the point of 
view of science, and the interchange of ideas and opinions at the 
frequent meetings of the society cannot fail to bring recruits to the 
ranks of those who, as members of the chartered Entomological Society 
and other leading scientific societies, have done so much to promote 
biological knowledge in recent years.—F’.M. 
Tue Naruran History or tHE British Leprporrrra (Swan Son- 
nenschein and Co., Paternoster Square, .C.).—The second volume of 
this important work described by Mr. Merrifield (Hntomologist, April, 
1899) as being ‘‘in comprehensiveness and fulness of detail, on all 
points of interest to the biologist, the systematist, and the collector 
without a rival,”’ has now been published. It consists of 
584 closely printed demy 8vo. pages, on good paper and well bound in 
cloth. It has an index consisting of 30 columns of references merely 
to the names of the species dealt with and referred to, and the whole 
book contains, not only a complete reswmé of the families dealt with 
culled from all possible sources, but a large mass of original matter 
written by the author and those entomologists whose help he was 
fortunate enough to obtain. 
The book consists of two parts: (1) The introductory part (100 
pages) containing chapters on ‘‘ Metamorphosis in Lepidoptera,” 
‘¢ Incidental phenomena relating to Metamorphosis in Lepidoptera,” 
“The External Morphology of the Lepidopterous pupa,’ ‘The 
Internal Structure of the Lepidopterous pupa,’ and ‘‘ Phylogeny of 
the lLepidopterous pupa.’’ (2) The systematic part (469 pages) 
dealing with the species. In this section each species is described 
under a series of headings—Synonymy, Original description, Imago, 
Sexual dimorphism, Gynandromorphism (descriptions of all known 
forms), Variation (with original descriptions of all known forms), 
Comparison with allied species, Egg-laying, Ovum, Habits of Larva, 
Larva, Variation of Larva, Comparison of Larva with those of allies, 
Cocoon, Double and Composite Cocoons, Variation in colour of 
Cocoons, Parasites, Food-plants, Habits and Habitat, Pupal Habits 
and extended duration of Pupal stage, Time of appearance (details for 
phenological work), Localities (county lists for the British Islands), 
Distribution (classified lists under the countries in which the species 
