INTRODUCTION. 
Ins. 3 
INTRODUCTION. 
The Record of Insecta is not quite so extensive as that of last year, the 
number of titles being 1549 against 1716 for 1903. We have numerous 
important works to record. 
Henneguy's general work, " Les Insectes," is up to date and on most 
points thoroughly reliable ; it gives in a concise form the sort of information 
by the accumulation of which the progress of entomology is greatly affected ; 
and is invaluable as a compendium of subjects that are often but little 
known to entomologists. A correction of an error in it as regards the 
question of coloration will be found in Bull. Soc. ent. France 1905, p. 146. 
The subject of the Orders of Insects and their classification has been 
again discussed by Handlirsch (657), Heymons (684) ; other papers on 
this point are given by Borner (157) and Klapalek (815). Though there 
is a general consent that the Orders are more numerous than was formerly 
considered to be the case, the views of the authorities in other respects are 
very diverse. 
Shipley (1291) has proposed that the names of all Orders shall have an 
uniform termination, and if this result can be attained it will be very 
valuable. Handlirsch has no less than twelve different terminations 
in the names of his 34 Orders. If Entomology is to be taught in schools 
of Zoology it is high time for the question of an uniform terminology for 
the complex taxonomy of Insecta to be discussed, and our thanks are due 
to Mr Shipley for his practical method of introducing the point. 
DoNCASTER (402) gives a preliminary paper on the parthenogenetic 
development of Nematus. Though the subject is of great interest, and 
will probably enlighten us as to the nature of the earliest processes of 
ontogeny, yet at present the information is too incomplete to warrant any 
conclusions. 
Marchal (906) has given more fully the results of his work on germi- 
nogony— a term he wishes to replace that of embryonic dissociation. In 
this he is doubtless correct for the division takes place in the nuclei before 
the formation of a definite embryo. The work is of a most interesting and 
important nature. 
Miss Embleton's memoir (450) on the anatomy and development of a 
Chalcid parasite of a scale-insect makes us acquainted with parts of a life- 
history of a remarkable character. Her accounts of the oogenesis and 
respiratory changes are particularly interesting, though only fragmentary. 
The question of the number of segments from which the head is 
developed is discussed by Riley (1173), who concludes that "sclerites 
originate from mechanical causes and do not necessarily have any relation 
to the primary segmentation." He admits six segments for the head. 
The same number is favoured by Holmgren (699), but it must be ad- 
mitted that this conclusion is still hypothetical rather than demonstrated. 
Hilzheimer (686) gives a dissertation on the morphology of the 
labium and on the anatomy of the hypoj)harynx in Hymenoptera. Dickel 
(379) resumes the question as to the nature of entoderm, taking the egg of 
the bee as his object ; and Schwangart studies the same question in 
Lepidoptera (1259). Voss (1461) contributes the first part of a study of the 
thorax of Gryllus, dealing with the. skeleton ; subsequent parts are to 
include the development of the wings, a subject that, as he justly remarks, 
has been greatly neglected in the lower Insects. 
