4142 Notices of New Books, 



his had bred several specimens of Spilosoraa papyratia, Ste., during the month of 

 October. 



Mr. Dalman exhibited some rare beetles, among which were Helops pallidus and 

 Micronyx tibiale, taken on the Kentish coast by Mr. Harding. 



Mr. Miller read the following paper on the habits of Elachista Cerussella : — 



" The larvae of this insect I found about the middle of the months of June and 

 August, feeding on the inner substance of the leaves of a coarse kind of grass or sedge, 

 the name of which is unknown to me, on which they spin a slight cocoon, and change 

 to the pupae. These pupae appear alike in all respects, except in point of size and co- 

 lour. T have not had an opportunity of observing, but suppose the light-coloured 

 moth to be produced from the larger, and the dark-coloured one from the smaller pu- 

 pae. There is no perceptible difference in the larvae, nor, except in size and colour, in 

 the pupae ; therefore, taking this into consideration, together with the very great re- 

 semblance presented by the perfect insect under the microscope, I think I am justified 

 in considering them one and the same species. I took both larvae and pupae at the 

 same time, and bred them two days afterwards. The dark one, or male, is not gene- 

 rally known, and is only to be obtained by breeding the females. Mr. Harding informs 

 me it is common in the fens." 



The specimens exhibited were bred. The Ichneumon infesting the larvae was also 

 exhibited. 



The President announced the following donations for the cabinet : — From Mr. 

 Edleston, a specimen of Plusia bractea and some others ; from the Rev. J. Johnson, 

 six specimens of Plutella Dalella. — J. T. N. 



NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 



1 A History of British Crustacea? By Thomas Bell, F.R.S., 

 Pres. L.S., &c. &c. Part IX., completing the work. London : 

 Van Voorst. October, 1853. Price 2s. 6d. 



The publication of this work has been a most tedious affair, — it 

 has been spread over eight years : and we wish to enter our strong 

 protest against publishers or authors commencing periodical publica- 

 tions of any kind, with the self-imposed terms of which they are not 

 fully prepared to comply. Exceptions to the rule of punctuality may 

 possibly occur : illness, death, or other unforeseen interruptions, can- 

 not be guarded against ; but in the present instance no such interrup- 

 tions have occurred, and no kind of explanation is offered. This is 

 a more serious subject than it may at first appear, because the want 

 of punctuality in serials of any kind begets a distaste in the pur- 

 chasers of such publications ; and the proprietors of all periodical 



