1884.] Entomology. IQI 
the editor that the Journal of Botany will be continued, the sup- 
port during the past year having been sufficient to leave a balance 
on the right side of the account. In the October number ot 
the Torrey Bulletin, Dr. Allen publishes some very interesting 
notes on the American specics of Fortpella, with six plates of 
figures. A key to all the known species (12) is given, and four 
new species and a new variety are described. Eight species are 
found in North America, and these are widely enough distributed 
to warrant a search for them in any part of the country with a 
reasonable hope of success. In the same number D. H. Camp- 
bell figures and describes some very simple prothallia of a fern 
(Onoclea struthiopteris). A row of four or five cells terminate in 
an apparently single celled antheridium! They were obtained by 
artificial culture under glass. Robert Ridgway, in the Decem- 
ber Botanical Gazette records a number of true measurements, 
Which confirm the belief we have held for many years that the 
heights of our trees as given in the books and manuals are uni- 
formly too low; witness the following: Quercus michauxti, 119 
feet ; Carya porcina, 115 feet; C. microcarpa, 134 feet; Cataipa 
Speciosa, 101% feet; Fraxinus americana, 127 feet; Sassafras offici- 
nale, 82 feet. After a long delay, no doubt very vexatious to 
the author, the botanical portion of the thirty-third and thirty- 
fourth Annual Reports of the New York State Museum of Natural 
story have appeared. The first was transmitted to the legisla- 
ture in February, 1880, and the last in March, 1881. Surely the 
State of New York ought not to delay so inexcusably the publi- 
cation of such important reports. Both contain numerous de- 
Scriptions of new species, and in each are good plates giving de- 
tails of structure, 
ENTOMOLOGY.' 
FLIGHT OF Insecrs.—Dr. Amans in his extended paper de- 
tribes his examination of the structure of the thorax in ZEschna, 
Sirex and Locusta, and discusses the views of previous authors 
ih the subject of flight of insects. He considers that a rational 
“ory of flight can only be formulated after various dissections 
ata erous experiments on the resistance of the air; the laws 
sa e latter are as yet very incompletely known, and as to anat- 
fore’ a knowledge of one animal hardly affords a sufficient basis 
~ 2 general theory. For the investigation of preliminary prob- 
wig is Specially well adapted, as it is probably the most 
a ie of insects, making, as it does, twenty-eight vibrations 
a 3 Axtewnany Hone oF Vantsi 10.—J. Chatin describes the 
€s found on the joints which form the tip of the antenne of 
lng: i 
communia partment is edited by Pror. C. V. RILEY, Washington, D. C., to whom 
i ons, books for notice, etc., should be sent. 
