■8 J 153 
isightliness caused by the " rooting " of the ground by the hogs ; but this might 
obably be partially avoided were the plan of " ringing," used by English pig- 
epera, adopted there. 
We hope again to have occasion to notice this useful publication. 
lTalogus Hymenopterorum Europe, auctore L. Kirchner. Herausg. von der 
K. Zool.-Bot. Gesellsch. in Wien, Vindobonae. ]867. 
This work gives in 285 pages the genera and species of Hymenoptera, with the 
thor's name to each, and frequently, but not always, a suflScient indication to 
able us to find the description. To the parasitic groups is added the name of 
e insect preyed upon ; this, however, is not done so fully as might have been 
pected. The idea is excellent, and if the execution were in any respect equal to 
e design, a most valuable contribution would have been made to the literature of 
B Order, Even as it is, some assistance may be derived from it, but the mistakes 
d omissions are so frequent, that little confidence could be placed in it as a 
mdard of reference, or as an oracle for the solution of knotty points. Opening 
e work at page 38 (Ichnevmonidce), we observe that the two first genera, Eristicus 
d Eupalamus, Wesm., are retained, although expressly discarded by their original 
thor in his subsequent works, and their species distributed among Ichneumon 
d Eiirylahus. On p. 39, Ichneumon, sp. 1 is spelt abator, Desv., instead of ohator, 
lereby the alphabetical arrangement is broken, and the real ohator, sp. 173, is 
ight for in vain. Sp. 5, alMcinctus, Gr., and 7, albilarvatus, Gr., should have 
en placed under Phygadeuon. Sp. 20, Ichn. Atropos, Newport, should have been 
iced under Trogus ; Curtis, and not Newport, is the author of the name, which 
ter all is a mere synonym of Tr. lutorius, Fab. Sp. 32, Ichn. Irunnicornis, Gr., is 
peated on p. 49, as Herpestomus brunnicornis, Gr. Spp. 46 and 47 have the 
me name, comis, Wesm. Next to the genus Ichneumon is placed Acrodactnjla, 
al., which belongs to the Pimplarice, and should stand close to Polysphincta ; the 
pical sp. A. madida, Hal., is omitted. On p. 48 we find Eurylahus dims, Wesm,, 
lich figures previously on p. 38 as Eupalamus dirus, Wesm. On p. 59 Microleptes 
lendidulus, Gr. (an Ichneumonoid form), is given as a synonym of Pterocormus 
Mns, Gr., among the Cryptidiv, the blunder being caused by a typographical 
ror in Desvignes' Catalogue, corrected in the errata of that work. Nearly all the 
,mes of Stephens, Curtis, and Haliday appear to be omitted, unless they chance 
be quoted by some continental writer. Ex pede Herculem; we have given 
lOugh to show the general style of the book, which in its present state can only 
rve to mislead and confound. It requires a thorough revision, to be carried out 
)t by the mere perfuactory copying of names, but by actually reading the cir- 
imjacent matter, which alone can give meaning and arrangement to those names, 
le task undertaken by the author is a great one, perhaps too much for the powers 
any individual. So formidable a list could not be thoroughly purged of errors. 
at the duty of a cataloguer requires that he should at least faithfully represent 
lS results attained by the authors whose works he undertakes to examine, leaving 
lem responsible for their own conclusions. Wo regret to observe that this obvious 
Uy is very far from being fulfilled by the work before us. It is conceivable that 
I future edition might be more carefully prepared from so laborious a ground- 
!ork, which would be hailed with pleasure by students of the Hymenoptera, and 
joukl go fai- to place them in the comparatively happy state of certainty enjoyed 
jr the Coleopterists and Lepidoptcrists. 
