47 



structure for all the known stages. These are printed in rather smaller type than the 

 rest of the book, a fact which will considerably facilitate reference. Then follows a 

 general description, giving any interesting features in the distribution and habits of the 

 perfect insect and larva, the food plant, variations and enemies, and lastly a list of the 

 points upon which further information is needed. 



On page 127 appears the first of a series of essays, of which there are to be over 70 

 distributed throughout the work, and to which the author has applied the somewhat 

 inelegant title of "Excursuses." These discuss separately all the interesting problems 

 which arise in the study of butterflies (whether of distribution, structure, history, or 

 relation to the outer world), in themselves forming a complete treatise on the life of 

 these insects. These will be a charming feature of the work by means of which a book, 

 which must necessarily contain a large amount of technical scientific description, will be 

 made attractive to many who will subscribe to it merely to possess the most extensive 

 and beautiful book which has ever appeared on the diurnal Lepidoptera of North 

 America. The scope of these may be inferred from the titles of those which occur in 

 the first part. 



1. The White Mountains of New Hampshire as a home for butterflies. 



2. The clothing of caterpillars. 



3. The general changes in a butterfly's life and form. 



4. The eggs of butterflies. 



5. The modes of suspension of caterpillars. 



The species described in the first part are (Eneis semidea and (E. jutta, Cercyonis 

 alope and C. nephele, Enodia poftlandia, Satyrodes eurydice, Neonympha phocion and the 

 beginning of the description of the genus Cissia. 



The nomenclature, we are told in the prospectus, follows the rules of the American 

 Ornithologists' Union. As is well know Mr. Scudder's views upon some points with 

 regard to nomenclature are very extreme, and it must be conceded that he has so far few 

 followers. This state of affairs, however, we anticipate will be changed. After many 

 years of close study upon a special subject by so able a student, the writer, at any rate, 

 is prepared to weigh carefully, without previously condemning them, his views as 

 expressed in this his greatest work. 



The illustrations are, as above stated, most profuse, superbly executed, and each is 

 accompanied by copious explanatory text, which will be bound opposite each plate. 



The eight plates in part I, are as follows : No. 1 is a beautifully coloured chromo- 

 lithograph of butterflies, showing in most instances both the upper and lower sides. 

 The complete work will contain about twelve of these plates. The second 

 plate, No. 14, is uncoloured, but is exquisitely engraved, and by some may 

 possibly be preferred to the last. It shows seventeen figures of butterflies artistically 

 grouped. There are to be five plates similar to this. The next plate, No. 18, comprises 

 eight small maps, showing separately the distribution of the different species treated of 

 in part I. There will be fifteen of these sets of maps. No. 46 shows scales of butterflies, 

 and there will be six of this nature. No. 52 gives the heads of butterflies. The work on 

 this plate, drawn by J. H. Emerton, is very beautiful. There are to be eight others like 

 it. No. 67 is the first of three plates showing the micropyles of eggs magnified highly. 

 No. 70 is devoted to magnified figures of young larvae just after leaving the eggs, and 

 there will be three others like it. No. 93 is a physicial map of New England, prepared 

 specially for this work by John H. Klemroth, under the supervision of the Geographer 

 of the TJ. S. Survey. These, however, do not by any means exhaust the styles of plates 

 which will appear, for in subsequent numbers new sorts of subjects will come forward 

 all of which will be fully illustrated whenever figures can make the text more intelligible. 

 Special articles upon hymenopterous and dipterous parasites are to be prepared by the 

 able specialists, Messrs. L. O. Howard, of Washington, and Dr. Williston. In fact, all 

 the phases of life passed by the insects treated of as well as the important circumstances 

 connected therewith, will be presented to the reader in the inosfe complete manner 

 possible. There will be about two thousand figures on ninety-six plates, of which over 



