1*26 
THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER. 
gencer’ during the winter mouths would 
be a loss to be deplored by all entomolo- 
gists: if published during that period it 
could be made a most valuable medium 
for imparting information on a variety of 
useful subjects, and through means of 
correspondence bring entomologists into 
more intimate association with each 
other, thereby tending to emulation and 
its consequent result, the development of 
whatever abilities may be lying dormant 
within them. I have been taking the 
‘Intelligencer’ from its commencement, 
as well as the ‘ Moths and Butterflies,’ 
and have induced a couple of parties in 
Ireland to take a copy also; nor have I 
any doubt that I can induce others to do 
so before the end of the season. — J. YV. 
Wilkinson, 47, Stanley Street, Chelsea ; 
June 24, 1856. 
I hope that you have not decided upon 
making the ‘ Entomologist’s Weekly In- 
telligencer’ hybernate, as I feel assured 
that its continued publication will be 
productive of much good to entomolo- 
gists. If there were any lack of matter 
for filling its columns, some of the 
“great guns” could carry on an argu- 
ment on some entomological subject, to 
the great satisfaction of the “ lesser 
stars.” — William Baker, Cross Inn, 
Llanelly ; June 23, 1856. 
Important Intelligence. — Capture of 
Hyale. — A specimen has occurred in 
Sussex this season. 
NOTICES OF BOOKS. 
On the Variation of Species; with 
especial reference to the Insecla ; fol- 
foltowed by an Enquiry into the Nature 
of Genera. By T. Vernon Wollas- 
ton, M.A., F.L.S. 8vo, cloth. Price 
5s. London: John Van Voorst, 
Paternoster Itow. 
Our previous notice of this book was 
limited to an epitome of Mr. Wollaston’s 
views on the causes of variation in 
insects. We had not space to give then 
any extracts from the work itself: we 
now proceed to gratify our readers with a 
few tit-bits. 
The following passage refers to the 
not unfrequent occurrence of hill-tops 
teeming wilh insect life, whilst other 
hill-tops shows no signs of insect deni- 
zens. 
“ During my researches in mountain- 
tracts I have usually remarked that the 
highest points of land either teem with 
life or else are perfectly barren. My 
own experience would certainly tend to 
prove, that, in a general sense, one or 
other of these extremes does almost con- 
stantly obtain ; and, although I would 
not wish to dogmatize on the phenomena 
which may in reality be explicable on 
other hypotheses, it would perhaps be 
worth while to enquire whether the geo- 
logical movements of subsidence and ele- 
vation will not afford some clue to the 
right interpretation of them. Be this, 
however, as it may, I can answer that in 
many countries where there are strong 
indications of the former the alpine sum- 
mits harbour an insect population to a 
singular extent, whilst in others, where 
the latter is as distinctly traceable, the 
upland ridges are comparatively unte- 
nauted. Now we have already shown 
that where the gradual lowering of a 
region has taken place there will be, of 
necessity, an undue accumulation of life 
on its loftiest pinnacles, for, even allow- 
ing a certain number of species (which 
even formerly were only just able to find 
a sufficient altitude for their development) 
to have perished, we shall have concen- 
trated at that single elevation the residue 
of all those which have survived from the 
ancient elevation above it ; but if, on the 
other hand, an area, already peopled, be 
in parts greatly upheaved, there will be 
either a universal dying-out, from the 
cold, of a large proportion of its inhabi- 
tants, or else an instinctive striving 
