REVIEWS AND ‘BOOK NOTICES. 221 
Girarp’s Insects.* —This is a French work modelled after a 
similar plan to Packard’s Guide, but much more pretentious and 
less convenient for daily‘use ; like the latter, it contains special 
reference to injurious insects and will prove of particular value to 
agriculturists. 
`The introductory portion covers two hundred and forty pages 
and is divided into eight sections: i. e., on definitions, on the an- 
atomical and physiological study of the functions; on the nervous 
system ; on instinct and intelligence; the chase and preservation 
of insects ; on paleontology; on geographical distribution; and 
on species and classification. Nearly half of the introduction is 
devoted to the second section (on the functions) which includes 
also much that is of great interest to the general student. We 
naturally look for twenty pages on animal heat, where therréader 
will find the result of Mr. Girard’s researches in very convenient 
form. A long chapter.is devoted to the mode of collecting and 
preserving insects and the introduction is terminated by a list of 
important entomological works. 
n the special part of the work the author defines in general 
language the characteristic features of the larger groups, and 
under each gives brief descriptions of the principal genera ; species . 
are not treated at length unless they are injurious; thus fifteen 
pages are given to the cockchafer. The history and habits of the 
insects are briefly described, so that the work becomes a running 
commentary upon the principal forms of beetles; our own ac- 
quaintance with Coleoptera is insufficient to enable us to judge 
how carefully the later sources of information have been gleaned, 
but there is no reference whatever to LeConte’s views of the po- 
sition and value of the Rhynchophora. 
The plates accompanying the volume, except the first six, which 
are anatomical, are confined to Coleoptera, and with a single ex- 
ception are the same as those published years since in Guérin’s 
by Iconographie du Régne animal,” but a few figures have been re- 
Placed by new illustrations. References to the plates are made 
` throughout-the work, but we miss a connected reference to any but 
$ 
3 Sms - 3 
j é ctes. Traité élé tos Vent g E peces 
utiles et de leurs produits, des è isibles et 1 y de les détruire; Pétude 
` — des mét ph “i kes a I liés de ct td ation; par Mau- 
_ fice Girard, Introduction, Coléoptéres, avec atlas de 60 planches pp. viii, 840. 8vo. 
