186 



The Naturalist. 



colours, glistereth in the night. It's soft and rough (Jer. 51, 27). It's 

 said to be transformed into a butterflie. The caterpillars are said to eat 

 one another's eggs unless they be carefully wrapped up. They are a 

 judgment inflicted for sin." This dictionary also contains equally 

 valuable information " of the nature and properties of beasts, fowls, 

 fishes, trees, plants, fruits, seeds, stones, &c.," said to be " extracted out 

 of the most approved authors," "especially Petri Ravanelli," ''first 

 begun by Mr. Thomas Wilson, and enlarged and digested by the diligent 

 care and industrious pains of Andrew Simpson." — J. R. D., Huddersfield. 



Maltby Common Enclosure Act. — A petition has been presented, 

 signed by Rev. W.' Fowler, George Brook, ter., F.L.S., and W. D. 

 Roebuck, on behaK of the members of the Yorkshire Nat. Union, 

 to the House of Commons, through Mr. John Barran, M.P., against the 

 proposal to enclose Maltby Common, near Sheffield, which we trust will be 

 successful in its object. Messrs. L. R. Starkey, M.P., and E. A. 

 Leatham, M.P., members of the Union, have also been solicited to 

 support Mr. Mundella, M.P., in his opposition to the second reading of 

 the Bill. 



NOTICES OF BOOKS, &c.— " Especes des Hymenopteres 

 d' Europe et d' Algeria, par Ed. Andre : tome premier, premier 

 fascicule, 1st April, 1879 : chez I'auteur, Rue Poterne, 10, a Beaune 

 (Cote d'Or)," — This work, if carried out in the style proposed in the 

 prospectus, will prove a great acquisition to the literature of hymenoptera, 

 and a great convenience to the student of that order. M. Andre proposes 

 to issue the book in quarterly parts, each part containing a fixed amount 

 of letterpress and number of coloured plates. The subscription per 

 annum is eighteen francs for the Postal Union. The first part is the 

 introduction to the study of hymenoptera, giving first a sketch of 

 the qualifications possessed by the ideal entomologist (an ideal we 

 fear never yet realised), then notes on entomological nomenclature, 

 a glance at classification, notes on the pursuit of hymenoptera in 

 the field, and the methods of collection and preservation, their deter- 

 mination, and the use of dichotomous tables (which will be largely 

 used throughout the work). The author then gives what will be of the 

 .greatest use to students, a description of the anatomy and structure of 

 hymenoptera, illustrated by well-executed plates of the parts alluded to^ 

 The introduction will be continued in the second fascicle. On its com- 

 pletion the author's intention is to give a succession of monographs of 

 the various families or gi-oups composing this great order. The descrip- 

 tions will be thrown into a series of dichotomous tables. Full notes on 

 ife-history and economy will form a leading feature in the design, and 

 coloured plates will represent one species at least of every genus, care 

 being taken to select species not before figured. Geographical distribution 

 will also receive its due share of attention. The first family to be 

 monographed is that of the sawflies, or Tenthrediindce ; then will probably 



