1896,] Entomology, 1055 
The family known heretofore as Blepharoceridz appears as Lipo- 
neuride. This change of name was made by Osten Sacken several 
years ago. He has more recently abandoned the change in a published 
paper, and there seems no reason why the old name should be displaced. 
The families Xylophagide and Coenomyide are united with Leptide, 
thus simplifying the family and generic diagnoses. This seems a rather 
surprising arrangement, yet may be logically defended. 
The family Lonchzeidz is united with the Sapromyzide. Aside from 
these changes there are no important differencesin the higher categories 
between the last catalogue and the present work. 
While the printing and binding are excellent, there are a number of 
typographical errors especially in the spelling of generic names, as for 
instance in Subulomyia, p. 43, the list of lepidopterous genera on p. 
146 (five mistakes) and the list of Tachinid and Dexiid genera, p. 147 
(four mistakes). But few of these, however, are more than the inter- 
changing or omission of a letter. 
This book is Dr. Williston’s most important single contribution to 
dipterology thus far, and it worthily exhibits the industry, experience 
and ability of the author, which have secured for him world-wide re- 
cognition as a dipterist of the highest rank.—J. M. ALDRICH, Moscow, 
Idaho. 
Color Variation of a Beetle.—Mr. W. Baterson gives an ac- 
count of his statistical examination of the color variations of the beetle 
Gonioctena variabilis, which appears to be abundant in hilly places in 
the south of Spain. He finds that we have here to do with a species 
whose members exhibit variation in several different respects, and that 
the variations occur in such a way that the individuals must be con- 
ceived as grouped round several special typical forms. There is thus 
not one normal for the species but several, though all live in the same 
localities under the same conditions, and though they breed freely all 
together these various forms are commoner than the intermediates be- 
tween them. Some time since, when calling attention to the excessive 
variability of the color of Coccinella decempunctata and the no less 
striking constancy of C. septempunctata which lives with it, Mr. Bateson 
remarked that to ask us to believe that the color of the one is constant, 
because it matters to the animal, and that the other is variable because 
it does not matter, is to ask us to abrogate reason. Mr. Wallace, it 
seems, is of this very opinion ; but he does not explain how it is that the 
color of one is so important, and the color of the other unimportant to 
the beetle. (Journal Royal Microscopical Society.) 
