42 The American Naturalist. [Janos A 
RECENT LITERATURE. 
Hyatt’s Insects.!—The small volume before us is the eighth in — 
the series of Guides for Science-Teaching issued under the auspices of 
the Boston Society of Natural History. ‘The series has been rather 
unequal ; some of the numbers, noticeably that dealing with the Crus 
tacea and spiders, have fallen below what such guides should be; but 
able introduction to the study of entomology. With this and the still. 
unfinished work of Professor Comstock, already noticed in these 
pages, the beginning students of insects can enter upon their work and 
fit themselves to take up the more technical papers. 
The treatment of the subject is after the following outline: The 
grasshopper is made the type of the group of Hexapods, and outlines 
are given to aid the student in working out for himself the external 
and internal anatomy. Next follows a chapter upon the principles 
underlying classification, and then come the characteristics of the 
ourteen orders which, following Brauer, the authors have recognized, 
There are many things in this arrangement which please us, but 
cannot agree to it in all particulars, Larval stages are an introduced 
feature in the Hexapod phylum, and those who rely wholly upon 
them as guides to the affinities and relationships are apt to go astra 
doptera, Hymenoptera, and Diptera, with the Hymenoptera senna 
a position intermediate between the other two; nor can we m 
themselves more of the admirable summary of Hexapod anatomy g 
in Lang’s “ Vergleichende Anatomie.” On page 12 Professor Hya 
says that he is ‘ disposed to uphold a modified form of the Cuvie 
classification, The old names, Radiata, Mollusca, and Articulata, 
the name Vertebrata, represent obvious relations and a legiti 
grouping of forms.’’ We had thought that the heterogeneous chi 
ter of the old group Radiata had long ago been demonstrated ; 
if Professor Hyatt wishes to include metameric forms under the 2 
` | Guides for Science-Teaching, No. Tt. , B tt and J.M. 
Arms. 16mo, pp. xxiii. + 300. mae oe ee oa, er er $ 
