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Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



logical Society of France, is another most admirable specimen of what a 

 monograph should be. In addition to a good description, an engraved 

 outline of every species is given — an assistance which those who have 

 puzzled over the great number of species apparently alike, and only dis- 

 tinguished by their delicate sculpturing and punctuation, will know how 

 to appreciate. 



Another important monograph has been brought to a close within the 

 last three years — Boheman's Monograpliia Cassididarum. The first 

 volume has been before the public for some years ; the second is now 

 also, and the favourable verdict which had been pronounced upon the first 

 is confirmed on the second. So many additional species have since been 

 discovered, that he informs me that a supplement has become necessary, 

 and will be published. 



Two other monographs have appeared or been commenced upon other 

 families of the subpentamerous Phytophages. One a monograph upon the 

 African Crypto cepliali, published by M. SufFrian in the Linnea Entomo- 

 logica two years ago. M. Suffrian had previously monographed the 

 Cryptocephalidce of Europe, and also those of North America. He is 

 now engaged upon those of Australia, to which, although Mr Wilson 

 Saunders' papers in the 4th volume of the Transactions of the Entomo- 

 logical Society of London formed a valuable contribution, much still 

 remained to be done. 



The other monograph lately published, in this group of families, 

 is the Catalogue of the Hispidce in the British Museum, by Dr Baly — ■ 

 first volume. In accordance with the enlightened course followed by 

 Dr Gray in publishing lists of the contents of the British Museum, 

 these, from originally consisting of a mere list of what was in the 

 museum, have gone on improving, first into a list both of described spe- 

 cies already in the museum, and of the desiderata not in the museum ; 

 then advancing into a description of new species in the museum besides 

 those already described ; and at last assuming the form of perfect mono- 

 graphs by the first authorities, containing their newest views of arrange- 

 ment, the descriptions of species both old and new, and this not merely 

 the new in the museum, but all the new that can be collected from every 

 quarter; so that, while practically the interest of the museum in it is 

 limited to the letters B. M. appended to the species it possesses, its real 

 interest extends to the whole scientific world. Dr Baly's work is the pro- 

 duction of a careful and acute naturalist, and is a credit to the science of 

 this country. 



Herr Gerstacker has commenced a work under the title of Entomogra- 

 phien, of which the first volume, lately published, contains a careful mono- 

 graph of the Endomy chides; and as M. Guerin-Meneville has also given his 

 views on that family, first in Mr Thomson's Archives Entomologiques , and 

 afterwards in his Revue de Zoologie,we may approach the study of that dif- 

 ficult family without fear of suffering from insufficient advice. I confess, 

 however, that it is rather an embarras de richesses. It is possible to have too 

 much of a good thing ; and two monographs on the same subject, published 

 by two eminent men at the same time, is a case in point. With the poet we 

 may say — " How happy could I be with either, were t'other dear charmer 

 away." We have seen the same thing happen before. It happened with 

 Kirby and Latreille. When Kirby brought out his chiefest work, the 

 Monograpliia Apum Anglice, Latreille's Genera appeared within a few 

 weeks of it ; but there the competition only shed lustre upon both. Work- 

 ing upon a nearly new subject without communication with each other, 

 they hit upon the same divisions, established families and genera upon 

 the same characters, and, generally, the results to which they came were 

 so identical, as to give confidence to men of science that the subject had 



