XIV. PRESS NOTICES OF VOL. III. 



Mr. Tutt agrees in this opinion, his answer might be that of the accomplished letter-writer who 

 accounted for the length of his communication by saying that he had not time to write short; if 

 this be so, it is greatly to be regretted, and one is all the more glad that he has had, and will we 

 hope for the succeeding volumes have, the valuable co-operation of such excellent and thoughtful 

 observers as Dr. Chapman, Mr. Bacot, and Mr. Prout, whose aid he acknowledges so heartily." 

 — F. Merrifield, F.E.S., The Entomologist's Monthly Magazine, November, 1902. 



" It is pleasant to be able to review such an eminently satisfactory book as isthe third volume 

 of ' British Lepidoptera. ' Its predecessors were very welcome, but to a large number of 

 entomologists the mass of material relating to the 'Micros ' was probably unread, and thus a 

 large portion of volumes i and ii, appeals only to a limited number. This third volume, therefore, 

 should find more support, as the species treated of are all very well known to the great majority of 

 collectors. The minutiae inevitably involved in such an undertaking are again manifest, and 

 with what effect they have been utilised it is for each individual to judge for himself. It is 

 strongly to be hoped that the necessary increased support will be forthcoming, and that many 

 more numbers are in store for us. The superfamily Lachneides is continued, and the first species 

 treated is Pachygastria ti-ifolii, which occupies exactly thirty pages. Following this comes the 

 species that has doubtless caused more research and taken up more time than any hitherto already 

 done, viz., Lasiocampa qtterciis. Preceding the description and all that follows concerning: the 

 life-history of the type and its numerous forms and varieties, is a summary of the experimental 

 work in the hybridising" of the different local races. Although nominally we have no chapter to 

 commence vol. iii, this summary of hybridisation is a very good substitute, and has as much 

 general interest as any such that has appeared in the previous volumes. By the time the 'Times 

 of Appearance,' ' Habits,' ' Localities,' etc., have all been worked through, eighty pages have 

 been covered over this species alone, and it is doubtful if anything of any moment concerning this 

 insect can have escaped Air. Putt's attention. Passing on to Macrothylacia ritdiand Cosmotriche 

 potato7-ia, perhaps one of the most interesting; collection of facts is to be found in the diver- 

 sified character of the habits of the larvae of these two species. To the former as much as 

 five and a half pages are alone given to this part of the scheme. Gastropacha ilicifolia comes in its 

 turn, with full descriptions of larva, cocoon, pupa, food-plants, parasites, and so on, and the 

 collector will doubtless read with avidity the ' Habits and Habitat ' section. Under Dimorpha 

 versicolora the question of its allies is freely discussed and the reader is referred back to vol. i.. 

 pp. 124-125, and vol. ii., p. 440, for further discussion. One cannot help wishing, however, that 

 the author would point out where (when possible) the imaginal characters are in agreement with 

 the biological ones in assigning, or helping; to assign, a position to a subfamily. The larval and 

 pupal habits under this species are again full of interest, and cannot fail to engage the atten- 

 tion of both student and collector. At p. 265 the superfamily Attacides is brought under review. 

 In the preface the author says he is entirely dissatisfied with his knowledge of the relationships of 

 the various families of the Saturniides (Attacides) inter se, of those of the Sphingides inter se, and 

 of these two superfamilies to each other. It, however, cannot be that he has not probed deep 

 enough, for the thirty pages or so, before our only British Attacid {Saturnia pavonia] is treated, 

 require the closest attention of the reader. The very thorough examination and diagnoses of the 

 characters afforded by the larvae of the Attacides will call for time and thought for full digestion. 

 From p. 342 to the end of the volume the classification and position of the Sphingides are discussed, 

 and the complete natural history of the British species of Amorphinae and Hemarin.e recorded. 

 Starting with Linnams, and working through Fabricius, Scopoli, Lamarck, Latreille, Hiibner, 

 Laspeyres, Oken, Leach, Dalman, Ochsenheinier, Swainson, Boisduval, Stephens, Curtis, 

 Duponchel, Duncan, and Westwood, a very complete review is given of the generic synonymy of 

 the British Sphingids, and at the close a list of the types of the genera deduced is set forth. 

 Another long diagnosis is given to the history of the superfamily, and starting with Reaumur, the 

 works of Hiibner, Stephens, Grote and Robinson. Butler, Herrich-Schaffer, Meyrick, Poulton, 

 and Dyar, are all brought under the focus in the order given. On pp. 365-566 is a scheme, drawn 

 up by Bacot. for separation into genera, based on larval characters, and closely following is a 

 family and subfamily division proposed by Chapman. Concerning the latter, one notes that the 

 Sesiinae are only separated from the Eumorphinae by the tufts to the abdomen, a character that 

 certainly does not hold good throughout. Perhaps, in vol iv, some better character will 

 be furnished when the true Macroglossids come to be reviewed. The high specialisations of 

 larva, pupa and imago are fully discussed. The details concerning the pupa offer food 

 for ri'lle'-tion, both as regards the proboscis-casing and the varying position of the glazed eye, 

 which latter, if we are not mistaken, is brought forward for the first time. ^Ye have descrip- 

 tions given of all the different hybrids produced in the Amorphinae, not the least interesting 

 being the comparison between the hybrids produced by Amorpha popn/i and Smerinthus 

 ocellata, and hybrids from Amorpha austauti and Smerinthus atlanticus. A very complete 

 classification of the forms and aberrations of Mimas tiliae is to hand at p. 404, and the same long 

 lists of localities are given, showing in many cases unsuspected curtailment or otherwise in t ho 

 range of distribution. On reference, for instance, to Hemaris fuciformis, it is noted as 

 'exceedingly rare, if not entirely absent, in Scotland and Ireland.' No one. after this, will deny 

 that these extended lists serve a purpose other than that for the collector. In conclusion, there is 

 only one matter we really regret, and that is that we hive had to wait two years for tin- 

 present instalment. It is pretty certain, however, that the book is all the more complete. — 

 W. J. Kaye, F.E.S., The Entomologist, December, 1902. 



" Alter an interval of but little more than two years, we have again the pleasure o\ re- 

 viewing another volume of Mr. Tutt's enormously laborious and comprehensive woik on the 

 British lepidoptera. The size and tin- manner of execution are similar to the two preceding 

 volumes; but it is entirely systematic, as no space could be spared for chapters on general 

 subjects, and perhaps, as a consequence, vol. iii contains no illustrations. We are glad to 



see that Mr. Tutt has adopted a suggestion made by some ol his critics, .im] has given a 

 somewhat fuller table of contents, which will much facilitate the use <A the book .... 



Volume iii contains the continuation of what. Mr. 1'utt calls the ' Sphingo-Micropterygid 

 Stups,' and ini hides the Lachneides, Dimorphides, Attacides, and pan of s .v. the 



eni iie volume being devoted to 13 species only, 7'/':., Pachygastria trifolit, Lasiocampa 

 guercus, Macrothylacia rubi, Cosmotriche potatoria, Gastropacha ilicifolia, Butricha querci- 

 folia, Dimorpha iu-isi< olora, Saturnia pavontOy Mimas tiliae, Smerinthus ocellata, Amorpha 

 popnli, //email's fuciformis and //. tityus. Of course, every species will not require to be 

 tie. iled .it the same length as LaStOCampa gnrtriis, which occupies (as a species' no loss 

 than bi) of Mr. Tutt's closely-printed pages, but we tremble to think of the number ot volumes 



