Vol. II, Wo. 1.] INSECT LIFE. [July, 1889. 



SPECIAL NOTES. 



With this 11 umber we commence the second volume of Insect Life. 

 The hist number was somewhat delayed by the preparation of the ex- 

 tensive indices, which, however, we feel will greatly increase the value 

 of volume I. Largely through the kindness of the authorities of the 

 Government Printing Office we were able to print the numbers during 

 the past year more regularly and promptly than we had anticipated, 

 and we hope to continue this regularity through the coming volume. 

 As stated in the salutatory to the first volume, however, the force of 

 the Division of Entomology is so actively engaged during the larger 

 part of the year with field work and experimentation that some lack of 

 promptness in publication can not but ensue. The publication of the 

 bulletin met with even more favor than we had hoped at the start, 

 and almost no adverse comments have reached our eye. The only criti- 

 cism which we have noticed was published in the review column of the 

 Atlantic Monthly, in which slight exception was taken to the idea of 

 the publication of a magazine by the Government, which by its free 

 distribution would compete on unfairly advantageous terms with pri- 

 vate enterprises. We have no comment to make except that the va- 

 rious branches of the Government are constantly publishing bulletins, 

 many of which differ but slightly in character from this, so that if the 

 title-page were only slightly changed, Insect Life would escape all 

 criticism of this kind. We trust that the interest of our readers will 

 continue, and that the tendency which Insect Life has so far shown, 

 to increase the correspondence, and therefore the range of benefit of 

 the Division of Entomology, will also continue. 



South African Insects. — That indefatigable worker, Miss Eleanor A. 

 Ormerod, has just brought out privately a little work entitled "Notes 

 and Descriptions of a Few Injurious Farm aud Fruit Insects of South 

 Africa." The book is published by Simpkin, Marshall & Co., of Lon- 

 don, ant} the price is 2s. 6d. The descriptions and identifications of the 



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