No. 443-] 



NOTES AND LITERA TURE. 



807 



sented by insects," is stated to be the object of this book. It aims 

 to present a course in study of insects, prepared from the biological 

 point of view. Hence, the opening chapters deal with such general 



life, habits and instincts, and the relations between flowers and 

 insects. Discussion of these themes occupies 119 pages. Then fol- 

 lows a chapter of 43 pages on economic entomology pure and simple, 

 and another of 39 pages on systematic entomology. In the latter 

 the orders are briefly discussed, with scant reference to either their 



Another brief and heterogeneous chapter of 20 pages discusses 

 geographic distribution, the struggle for existence, parasitism, natu- 

 ral selection etc. As an academic discussion of the biology of 

 inserts this part is singularly lacking in unity and coherence. 



Part II is devoted to methods, equipment and laboratory exercises. 

 There are outlines for practical study of but two of the biological 

 themes discussed in part I : metamorphosis, and the habits of ants. 

 For the balance, there is but another outline for the study of grass- 

 hopper anatomy, and another key to the orders and principal families 

 of insects. There are many illustrations — far too many in fact in 



: they appear to \ 



well reproduced, and too often appear inky. 

 In so far as the study of the biological aspects of insect life 

 cerned the profession is better than the performance. T\ 

 considerable rambling discussion of biological themes (an 

 appears to be all that is offered as new in the method of the 

 but, with the two exceptions noted above, there is no progr. 

 before the student for the study of ^J^^^^ 

 ing is the more regrettable because there were many better labc 

 outlines for grasshopper dissection, and a few better keys, a^rc 

 existence. It may be, however, that the thin strata o in ^ ec ^ 

 anatomy, collection making, systematic determination an 

 procedure brought within the covers of a single book will affor 

 digging for short course students. , 



The chief criticism of it as a laboratory book is ^t™J>« 

 cally weakest in those matters on which it lays grea es 

 this respect it is much like some other modern books ot Dotal 

 zoology, 



get no farther thai 



