164 
REVIEWS. 
Pedieularis palustris, Linn. 
(2.) Packington, 1810, Aylesford ; Blythe Bridge, Solihull, Miss Garril 
Airy. 
P. sylvatiea, Linn. 
(4.) Mortou Lane, Barby Road, 1831, Baxter , MS. 
(8.) Grove Park ; Haywood ; Haseley, Bromwich. 
Melampyrum pratense, Linn. 
(6.) Peru Hill Wood, Bromwich. 
Orobanehe major, Linn. 
(2.) Packingtou, 1810. Aylesford. 
(8.) Haseley, Cheshire. 
Verbena officinalis, Linn. 
(4.) Near Barford Church, John Cross. 
(9.) Wixford, John Cross. 
Mentha sylvestris, Linn., var. nemorosa, Willd. 
(4.) Leek Wootton, Bromwich. 
M. piperata, Huds. 
(2.) Near Rotheram Oak. 
(To be continued.) 
An Account of British Flies (Diptera ). By Fred. V. Theobald, B.A., F.E.S. 
Vol. I.—London : Elliot Stock, 1892. 
Although those insects with two wings popularly called “flies,” and 
scientifically “ Diptera,” are exceedingly numerous and often of great 
economic importance, and although German and French entomologists have 
written largely on them, yet there is only one treatise in English on the 
British forms of the group. That work, Walker’s “ Insecta Britannica 
Diptera ” was published in 1851, and is now both out of print and out of 
date ; with the view of filling up this gap in entomological literature, 
Mr. Theobald, who is a Cambridge University Extension Lecturer on 
Injurious Insects, has produced the present work, which will be very 
welcome to all good wielders of the net. It is of necessity largely a 
compilation of other men’s work, but at the same time bears throughout 
the mark of Mr. Theobald’s own observations. The book is no doubt 
meant primarily for those who have some previous knowledge of entomo¬ 
logy, for the ordinary technical terms are not explained ; but, while it 
will’be most useful to the specialist, yet anyone will find much in it 
to interest him. Naturally, the greater part of it is composed of minute 
accounts of the characters of the families, genera, and chief species of the 
Diptera, but in addition, where they are known, the life-histones of various 
forms are given, especially of those injurious to crops and farm-stock, 
together with the best modes of defence or attack. As an instance of the 
latter, we may quote what is said to be a very successful way of destroying 
fleas :’it is to “take a few handfuls of fresh garden mint and strew them 
about the rooms, particularly under the beds.” .. 
The chapter in which the classification of the flies is discussed will be 
found full of interesting matter ; the subject is introduced by an account of 
the ancient and modern classification of insects, of which much, it seems, 
was known even before Aristotle’s time (387 B.C.). That great observer 
recognised the Diptera as a separate group of insects, and even divided them 
into°two sections, those with an oral and those with an anal stmg. Step by 
step, Mr. Theobald traces the growth of our knowledge of entomology from 
July, 1893. 
