RECENT LITERATURE. 223 



Among other results he finds that hybridisation between closely-allied 

 species produces a remarkable amount of hermaphrodite progeny. 

 The President also exhibited one of the basket-worms, discussed at 

 the last meeting ; the specimen was extracted from its basket, and 

 showed great differences when compared with ordinary caterpillars. 

 He also showed another very exceptional larva from Madagascar, 

 which he believed to be one of the *' slug-worms" of North American 

 naturalists. He then read a paper upon the " Destruction of Forests 

 and its Results." He said that much wanton destruction of natural 

 conditions occurs in all parts of the world, which in the long run 

 impoverishes humanity. In connection with this the Californian 

 Academy of Sciences has recently drawn up a report for presentation 

 to the Congress of the United States protesting against such reduction 

 of forest preserves, '-it being a trespass of an inheritance which should 

 by every legitimate means be preserved by this generation for those 

 who are to come after." It has been conclusively proven that the 

 terrible droughts, floods, and famines in Southern Russia are directly 

 caused by the destruction of timber. It is also a well-established fact 

 that the droughts and failures of crops in a large area of France are 

 due to change in climate caused by the destruction of forests since the 

 Revolution. In Britain this does not interest us so immediately, as 

 we have a sufficient and moderate rainfall without forests, but in our 

 Colonies it is not so. He had information that much unnecessary 

 destruction occurred; and that in New Zealand much loss had recently 

 been caused by drought. The preservation and management of forests 

 ought to be considered one of the most important duties of Colonial 

 Governments. From a naturalist's point of view it was sad to think 

 that this destruction of forests involved the extermination of many of 

 the animals of the world without our having acquired any knowledge 

 about them, and in many cases without our having even seen them. 

 — C. J. Wilkinson, Hon. Sec. 



RECENT LITERATURE. 



Our Country's Butterjiies and Moths, and how to know them. A Guide to 

 the Lepidoptera of Great Britain. By W. J. Gordon. With a 

 thousand examples in colour by H. Lynn, and many original 

 diagrams. Crown 8vo, pp. viii, 150 ; plates 32. London : Day 

 & Son ; and Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co. 1896. 



As an aid to the identification of the species of Lepidoptera occur- 

 ring in this country, especially as regards the Macro division, this 

 marvellously cheap little book should be of assistance to the beginner. 

 A large number of the figures are really very good, but it must be 

 added that there are several which are simply grotesque caricatures of 

 the species they are supposed to represent. Chapters I. and II. are 

 respectively alphabetical lists of the popular and the scientific names of 

 the species, and also serve as an index to the plates ; but to these 

 latter Chapter III. appears to be the systematic key. The remarks 

 under the head ''Sortation," although somewhat sketchy, are not 



