Receyit Literature. 35 
Northeastern Missouri) it is clearly shown that the historic Indians 
did build burial mounds, but in the case of Ohio this is not so easy. 
History and tradition tell us almost nothing of the aboriginal in- 
habitants of that State, for soon after the advent of the French in the 
new world, the Iroquois rendered that whole region an uninhabited 
wilderness. It is true that we have references to the Eries or Cat 
nation and legends of the Tallegwi, but what the affinities of these 
tribes were, history tells us nothing. Dr. Thomas, ho vn ever, com- 
pares the Ohio mounds with those near Charleston, West Virginia, 
and gives much evidence to show that both were made by the same 
people and more than suggests the identity of the Tallegwi with the 
Cherokees. These latter are shown beyond much possibility of doubt 
to have been a mound building people even in post-Columbian times. 
Among the other conclusions drawn maybe mentioned these : That 
there is no evidence of human sacrifice in mortuary rites ; that noth- 
ing indicates that the people building the mounds had arrived at 
any higher culture-status than had some of the historic Indian tribes 
of the same region; and that the period of mound-building could not 
have continued for more than a thou.-'and years, and hence its com- 
mencement probably does not antedate the fifth or sixth century. 
Comstock's Entomology .1— This work is nearer our ideal of what 
a text-book of entomology should be than anything, American or 
foreign, which has appeared for many years. It is concise, clear, 
and bears evidence of careful preparation and abundant knowledge, 
while most of the illustrations are new and fresh, many being en- 
graved by Mrs. Comstock expressly for the work. In the present 
part the subjects tr eated are (1 ) The Characters and Metamorphoses of 
Insects, (2) The Anatomy of Insects, (3) The Orders of Hexapoda. 
(4) Thysanura, (5) Pseudoneuroptera. (6) Orthoptera, (7) Physopoda, 
and (8) Hemiptera. In the second part (which we sincerely hope 
may not be long dela\ ed) the remaining orders will be taken up, 
and with them we are promised chapters on economic entomology, 
directions for collecting and preserving insects, a bibliography, 'a 
glossary, and an introductory chapter. 
In the treatment of the different orders we notice a lack of uni- 
formity; in some analytical tables extending down to genera are 
given, while others are treated less fully. This is doubtless owing to 
the present state of entomological science, and those groups which 
are left in the more imperfect condition are just those where there 
remains work for the sys ematist. We are glad to see that only the 
Hexapods are included, for the Myriapods are at best an uncertaip 
group, while recent investigations have shown that the Arachnida, 
aside from being Arthropods, have no relationships with either 
Hexapods or Myriapods. With the sequence of orders some fault 
might be found. A division ot Ilexapoda above Thysanura into 
' An Introduction to Entomolouv. Bv John I lenrv Comstock. Ithaca, 
?o^--P^^^*®*^«d by the Author, 1N88. "[Ft. I., pp. 334, w.tli 201 figures.] 
