1906. 
Reviews. 
251 
sentence A few of the illustrations [25 at the lowest estimate] repre- 
sent plants not found in the British Islands ; but, with a single exception 
{Globidariacdr), every Order figured is represented in our British Flora." 
A further examination of the book convinces us that, instead of the plates 
and text being made to fit the subject, the text has been written to fit a 
stray series of rather bad plates, taken presumably from some cheap 
German work. It is a pity that Mr. Kirby, whose fine work as an ento- 
mologist is known to everyone, should have been induced to a piece of 
book-making resting on so insecure a foundation. The letterpress itself 
is interesting, and Mr. Kirby's bent is abundantly evident in the full in- 
formation given concerning the insects which feed on the various plants 
treated of — indeed, there is often more information about the insects than 
about the plants. 
R. Ivi.. P. 
BRITISH AND IRISH ONISCID^. 
The British Wood lice, being a monograph of the Terrestrial Isopod 
Crustacea occurring in the British Islands. By Wii^fred Mark 
Webb, F.L.S., and Chari.es S11.1.EM. Pp. x. + 54, with 25 Plates and 
59 Figures in the text. London : Duckworth & Co., 1906. Price, ^s. 
net. 
This well got up little work, is a reprint from the " Essex Naturalist" 
(voL xiv.), and will be welcomed by all interested in the study of British 
Woodlice. It commences with an illustrated account of the structure, 
development, and habits of the whole tribe, followed by a detailed de- 
scription of the different species. Figures of the flagellum of the 
antennae, by which the various species are to a great extent classified, 
are given in every case, and are a great help to their identification. It 
might have been well however to point out the fact, that this character- 
istic is only to be relied on when the animal is adult, as in immature 
specimens the proportional lengths of the terminal joints varies con- 
siderably. As the authors in the preface invite corrections, it must be 
noted thatalthough "compound eyes" is given as one of the generic 
distinctions of Trichoniscus, both T. ro em and T. vividus have simple 
eyes; in the latter species the large single-lens eye being one of its most 
striking features. In T. piisilhis, too, although the eye is compound, 
consisting as it does of usually three, though often only two, very in- 
definitely defined lenses, it differs very much from the compound eye in 
the other families. 
These facts affect considerably all that is said on the genus Trichon- 
iscus, and would make it seem doubtful whether the characteristics of 
Trichoniscoides albidus (Sars) are suflBciently distinct to warrant its 
being placed in a seperate genus. 
The book concludes with a bibliography and twenty-five plates which 
are for the most part excellent. 
Djrnis R. Pack-B^resforp. 
