THE WEEKLY ENTOMOLOGIST. 
159 
title has just issued from the press. 
It is an admirable and worthy imitator 
of Stainton’s “Manual,” in more 
• 
ways than one. In the first place it 
is a worthy imitator in popularizing 
scientific studies, and further because 
it is written in the same form. 
The history of Entomology is mar- 
ked by its books and we cannot help 
thinking, and hoping that this work 
marks a crisis. The knowledge of 
British Lepidoptera never, perhaps, 
received, such an impulse as was 
given to it by the publication of Mr. 
Stainton’s “Manual” and “ Intellig- 
encer” and we anticipate that we 
shall now begin almost immediately 
to hear of increased activity among 
the butterfly collectors all over Europe. 
It is impossible to say how large or 
how small a circulation Mr. Kirby’s 
book will have among continental 
Entomologists, but we should fear 
that, being in English, it will not be 
as widely popular among our Europ- 
ean brethren, as its merits deserve. 
We therefore, recommend it all the 
more earnestly to the support of our 
friends in England, assuring them 
that it furnishes them with a most 
correct, and yet comprehensive view 
of the Rhopalocera of Europe. 
The systetn of abbreviation is car- 
ried out, more fully than it is even in 
the “ Manual of British Lepidoptera,” 
as all the localities are tabulated in 
an appendix, but this is so clear a 
tabulation that it cannot be objected 
to. We must confess however that 
we cannot quite see a necessity for 
some of the changes the author in- 
troduces among the names, — thus, we 
cannot help feeling that Medea for 
Blandina jars upon our ears. 
Too many of the works of the 
present day are not really wanted, 
but such a charge cannot be brought 
against Mr. Kirby’s “ Manual.” It 
supplies a felt want, and, though it 
is the first book we have heard of, in 
English, treating of any portion of the 
Macro Lepidoptera of all Europe, 
until the knowledge of Entomology 
over the continent has spread widely, 
and made the book imperfect, no 
other will be needed. 
May it have the effect of raising an 
inclination among our English stu- 
dents to widen the circle of their 
studies, by showing them something 
of the interesting character of the 
species found abroad, and by putting 
in their hands, at a low price, the 
means of gaining knowledge, may it 
add as much to the store of scientific 
facts as it promises to do ! If, in 
addition to this, it brings into closer 
companionship and correspondence 
the Entomologists of the continent 
and those at home, and induces them 
to think more of each other as co- 
workers in the same cause, it will 
not do more than we anticipate from 
its character. 
We are not aware whether the 
author of the book intends publishing 
“ manuals ” of other groups of Eur- 
opean Lepidoptera, but we know of 
none whom we should think better 
fitted to do so. 
