INSECTA. 
345 
Mors, L. Notes snr quelques varietes de Coleopteres. Ann. 
Soc. Ent. Beige, tom. vii. pp. 129-133. 
Murray, Andrew. Monograph of the family of Nitidularia, 
Part I. Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. vol. xxiv. pp. 211-414, 
plates 32-35. 
The part of the Linnean Transactions for 1864 contains the 
first part of the most elaborate entomological memoir that has 
appeared for years — Mr. Murray^s monograph of the Nitidu- 
larise. From his statement in the introduction, the investiga- 
tions upon which this monograph is founded have occupied him 
for several years ; he has examined the specimens belonging to 
this family in the Museums of London, Oxford, Paris, Berlin, 
Copenhagen, and Stockholm, and obtained specimens, typical or 
otherwise, from a whole host of British and foreign coleopterists. 
In this way he has brought together correctly-named examples 
of a vast number of species; and as the accumulated material 
has been added to the rich collection of our national museum, 
the future student of this group will have the double advantage 
of an elaborate monographic treatise to work with, and a nearly 
complete collection of types for reference. 
The number of new species described by Mr. Murray is very 
considerable. Thus, of Carpophilus thirty-five species were 
previously descril)cd, the autlior describes ninety-three; of 
Brachypeplus there were five known species, this monograph 
contains descriptions of twenty-eight ; and the eighteen species 
of Colastm described by former authors are here increased to 
forty-seven. With regard to genera the author holds that these 
groups are to be considered chiefly as artificial aids invented by 
man for the purpose of classification, the difficulties constantly 
occurring in the shape of intermediate forms, in every attempt at 
the accurate definition of genera, showing, in his opinion, that, 
with a few exceptional breaks, the boundaries of the genera 
. have no real existence.^’ But, singularly enough, he 
thinks the genera of Linnaeus and his immediate successors may 
have natural boundaries, although it is evident that the same 
rule must apply to all groups ; and practically we know that 
the limits certainly of families, and in many cases also of orders, 
are not easily defined so as to include all the species that we 
wish to refer to them, and no others. 
After a detailed description of the general structural charac- 
ters presented by the insects belonging to the family, and an 
account of the metamorphoses of the few species of which the 
early states arc known, the author proceeds to an exposition of 
the internal classification of the family, which, with the new 
genera and species, will be noted hereafter. The introductory 
portion of this work is illustrated with numerous outline w ood- 
cuts of the different parts of the insects ; and similar illustrations 
