INTRODUCTION. 
Ins, 3 
INTRODUCTION. 
The extent of Entomological work in 1893 appears to be quite as con- 
siderable as that of any previous year. The titles number 1069 against 
1026 last year. 
Brunner v. Wattenwyl has published a very useful work on the 
system of Orthoptera (116). He has been successful in obviating certain 
of the inconsistencies of StM and others, so that some groups, whose 
classification was previously incomprehensible, are now brought into 
intelligible form. We are also indebted to Forel for some improve- 
ments in the classification of ants (325). 
Of systematic work we must also notice the first volume of Ragonot’s 
work on Pyralidai (745) ; it contains a very large number of genera in 
proportion to the species it deals with. Watson has made a laudable 
effort (1033) to cope with the great difficulties presented by the classifica- 
tion of the Ilcsperiidcc , proceeding to a large extent on the lines pre- 
viously traversed by Scudder. 
Letiiierry and Severin have published the first volume of a useful 
and much required general catalogue of Ilemiptera (583) ; and Dalla- 
Torre has been able to give us two volumes (212) of the general cata- 
logue of Ilymenopterci. 
In faunistic work we have the pleasure of noticing Ashmead’s (21) 
monograph of the N. American Proctotrupidce , Smith’s list (917) of the 
Noctuid Moths of N. America, and Calvert’s paper (135) on the Dragon- 
fly fauna of Philadelphia. These three works will no doubt prove most 
useful in advancing and diffusing a knowledge of the rich insect-fauna of 
North America. Hampson has given us another part of the Illustra- 
tions of Lepidoptera in the British Museum (423) ; it refers to the fauna 
of Ceylon. 
The publication of Parts v-vil of the Manual of New Zealand Coleo- 
ptern by Broun (112) is notable, as it brings the number of named New 
Zealand forms of this order up to about 2,600. Although some deduc- 
tion will, no doubt, have to be made from this number, on account of 
synonymy and varietal forms, yet, on the other hand, there still remains 
the great family of Staphylinidce , which has scarcely been touched. We 
shall be pardoned for expressing the hope that the Diptera and Hymeno- 
ptera may be collected before the extinction that is progressing so 
rapidly in New Zealand shall have further obscured the true nature of 
this very important fauna. Much suggestive matter will be found in 
Wheeler’s embryological treatise (1049) ; and very interesting entomo- 
logical information is contained in MOller’s memoir (641) on mushrooms 
cultivated by ants. Bataillon’s enquiry (41) into the physiology of the 
metamorphosis of the silkworm is full of interest. The most import- 
ant memoir of the year is, however, that by G-rassi & Sandias (393), 
giving an account of the habits and development of the two species of 
Termitidce found in Sicily, a subject on which it is clear much more 
