NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 39 



having been inserted amongst the Echidnas, opposite page 240, 

 instead of where it should be, opposite page 188. This is not 

 the only instance in which we have noticed the faulty arrange- 

 ment of the plates. At page 240 we should find the plate 

 of Echidna, but this, for no apparent reason, is relegated to page 

 280; the Wombat faces page 160 instead of page 124; the Kola 

 should face page 78 instead of page 88; and the Thylacine 

 should figure amongst the Dasyurince at page 150, instead of 

 being inserted amongst the Opossums at page 200. These, 

 and other cases which might be mentioned, are, to say the least 

 of it, embarrassing to the reader, though they may be remedied, 

 of course, by re-arrangement in subsequent issues, or by re- 

 binding. 



Allen's Naturalists' Library. Edited by K. Bowdler Sharpe. 

 Butterflies : by W. F. Kirby. Vol. I., crown 8vo, pp. i-lxxiv, 

 1-262, with 37 plates. London : W. H. Allen & Co. 1894. 



In treating of a subject so large as the present, the author is 

 naturally under considerable difficulty in compressing his matter 

 into two volumes of this size, and at the same time doing justice 

 to the many species of which he writes. He has therefore taken 

 in their order each subfamily, with its genera, and described the 

 type butterfly only of each genus, omitting the various species ; 

 this reduces the work to reasonable proportions. In some 

 instances, for special reasons, he describes more than one 

 species ; and in the case of British species describes all, in 

 order, to use his own words, " to make the British butterflies 

 illustrate and lead up to a study of the butterflies of the world." 

 With each species he gives a copious synonymy. 



In an Introduction of 74 pages the external structure and 

 characters of the eggs, larvae, pupae, and perfect insects are 

 described, with many interesting details, special attention being 

 paid to neuration. The author adopts Sclater's scheme of 

 geographical distribution, and in connection with this makes 

 the following interesting statement: — 



"It is a mistake to suppose that the Tropics are always rich in 

 butterflies, or that all tropical butterflies are beautiful. In proportion 

 to the productiveness of a country in a state of nature, is often its unpro- 

 ductiveness when cleared and cultivated. Not only are thousands of 



