Notices of New Books. 5187 



the slightest approximation to each other as to what number of species 

 or what type of form shall constitute the genera Scarabseus, Staphy- 

 linus or Cerambyx. I would challenge such men as Waterhouse, 

 Power or Wollaston to the task ; and the result would show that the 

 terms, and the associations implied by the terms, found a different solu- 

 tion in the mind of each. How, then, can the mass of students, who 

 look up to these stars of the first magnitude for illumination, — how, I 

 say, can they be expected to possess precise and definite ideas on 

 this difficult subject ? 



Mr. Wollaston's views on the variation and the effects of isolation 

 on species have been previously published in his magnificent work on 

 the insects of Madeira. In the present volume they are repeated, 

 expanded and confirmed. Their discussion occupies 156 pages; 

 then follows the " Generic Theory," occupying 23 pages ; and, lastly, 

 a chapter without a title, unless its motto can be regarded as one, 



" Deposita sarciua, levior volabo ad cceluin." 



This chapter certainly is very beautiful, and very forcibly brings to 

 mind the glorious hymn with which Thompson concludes his 

 ' Seasons.' It is a " Jamque opus exegi " without its conceit, and 

 proves that Entomology, in the instance of Mr. Wollaston, has had 

 no tendency to contract the power or cramp the energies of a truly 

 noble intellect. 



Now let us revert to the " Generic Theory." If the reader take seven 

 pieces of money, of similar size but of different die and metal, and 

 place them on the table before him, one in the centre and six around 

 it, all touching the central coin, he will have some idea of the mode 

 in which a small group of species are naturally associated. If we call 

 the central coin A, B and C shall agree with it in being gold coins ; 

 therefore those three must approximate. D and E shall be silver, 

 but agree with A in being coins of Victoria ; therefore those three 

 must approximate. F and G shall be copper, but A, F and G shall 

 agree in bearing the same date; those three must approximate. 

 Then there should be a reason for placing C and D and A together, 

 such, for instance, as their bearing George and the Dragon on the 

 obverse. E and F and A agree in some one character, as, for 

 instance, the legend ; and G and B and A in another character, as 

 having the margin perfectly smooth. Now, every insect has dis- 

 tinctive characters stamped on it and on its descendants, far more 

 permanent than those on coins ; and, unless we accommodate and 



