4446 Notices of New Books. 



the papers published in the Entomological Society's ' Transactions,' 

 by Mr. Douglas. 



These are one or two of the necessities most to be desired by all 

 who are desirous of being ranked as entomologists ; things which no 

 single man by himself can ever hope to get through, and the little 

 which each one might perform, were it only the discovery of a single 

 new* species (I mean the transformations), would serve to show that he 

 was pulling in the right direction, that is, towards the removal of the 

 great difficulties which have hitherto enveloped these interesting 

 creatures, and which has hitherto prevented their being so well known 

 by us ; and to finish, I would say to each one, 



" Teach thy necessity to reason thus ; 

 There is no virtue like necessity." 



John Scott. 



Ferry Road, Renfrew, 

 Feb. 27. 1854. 



NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 



- Geodephaga Britannica. A Monograph of the Carnivorous Ground- 

 Beetles indigenous to the British Isles' By John Frederic 

 Dawson, LL.B. London : Van Voorst, 1854. Demy 8vo. 

 212 pp. text, 3 plates. 



We believe that there is no man in the United Kingdom so capable 

 of undertaking the task which is here completed as Mr. Dawson ; and 

 we unhesitatingly pronounce the work an invaluable contribution to 

 British Entomology. Mr. Dawson is not merely one of those who 

 labour with unwearying assiduity at any subject towards which they 

 feel a drawing, but he possesses a more rare and more useful faculty, 

 the power of methodising his labours, so that they may be available 

 to others. The subject investigated by Mr. Dawson is surrounded 

 with difficulties : the species themselves are obscure ; the prior 

 descriptions are very imperfect; and the synonomy is involved in all 

 but inextricable confusion : nevertheless our pains-taking author has 

 dissipated much of the obscure, unveiled the tangled synonymy, and 



