1867.] 167 
punctulato. Oris partes rufto. Antennas <? nigra?, scapo, ct interdum art° 2°, 
rufis ; ? artt. 1 — 8 rnfcscontibus, csetoris nigris. Pedes cum coxis rufescontes, 
femoribns, tibiisque apicem versus, obscurioribus, tarsorum art° ult° fusco. <? ? 
Metathoracis et pctioli lanugo fusca, brevis, vclutina. Long. ^ — 1 lin. $ ? . 
The c7 is sufficiently distinct from every other genus of Bia'priadoi by the 
singular form of the scape. The ? requires only to be discriminated from those 
genera having, in that sex, 12-jointed antennas. These are Cephalonomia, Westvf. ; 
Idiotypa, Forst. ,=Miono'pria, Hal. ; Diapria, Latr. ; Loxotropa, ¥drat.,=Basalys, 
Thorns., nee Wcstw. ; and Glijptonota, Forst. Cephalonomia, ? , has ocelli, the 
head much broader than the thorax, and the antennae shorter than the head. 
Idiotypa and Olyptonota have the parapsidum suturse distinct. Biapria has ocelli, 
and a distinct fovea at the base of the well-developed scutellum ; also the 3rd joint 
of the antennas is longer than the 2nd. Lastly, the ? o? Loxotmpa has ocelli, &c., 
like Biapria. The present female insect is abundantly distinct from Psilus fucicola, 
Walk., Ent. Mag., 2, 117, which is a Monelata, Fdrat.,=Corynopria, Halid., with 
13-jointed antennse. I beUeve the above considerations are amply sufficient to 
establish the $ of Platymischus, and to ensure its identification for the future. 
I have some pairs to give away.— T. A. Marshall, Milford Haven, October 
23rd, 1867. 
Natural History of Devon, by Edward Pakfitt. Part ii. Coleoptera (Exeter: 
W. CLiFroRD ; S. Styles; 2s.). 
It is, apparently, the laudable desire of making a starting-point for a Fauna of 
his county that has induced Mr. Parfitt, in spite of the onerous duties necessarily 
attending his position at the Devon and Exeter Institute, and extending over all 
branches of Natural History, to publish the Catalogue now under notice. It is, 
however, simply as a starting-point that it can be considered of any use ; recording, 
as it does, only the universally distributed (circ.) 1,000 species, with a few revived 
Leachian obscurities, &c. Such works as these,— undertaken under great diffi- 
culties, and probably with the mistaken idea that the application of a certain 
amount of energy will compensate for a comparatively trifling acquaintance with 
the subject,— necessarily redound but little to the credit of the author who travels 
out of his proper sphere. In the present instance, a glance at the " Introduction," 
and the two pages of Index, bristling with upwards of sixty outrageous mistakes in 
the names of the genera, will warn the reader that Mr. Parfitt must have had a 
hard fight in making up his Catalogue ;— an idea amply proved by the very numerous 
blunders of every kind occurring throughout the body of the work. Under these 
circumstances, it seems almost a pity that the author should have considered it 
necessary to indulge in schemes of classification, and to introduce certain species 
on apparently no reasonable grounds. We regi-et the enforced tone of these 
remarks; as the Catalogue may still be of considerable use to beginners in 
Devonshire. 
i^n^ral |ufi)rmation. ■ 
Monograph of the British Neuroptera—Planipermia.— Mr. R. McLachlan is now 
engaged on this work, and will feel grateful to any gentleman who can lend him 
native examples of the genus RapUdia, which shall be taken great care of, and be 
returned promptly. He adopts this method of asking for materials in this genus, 
because, the species being so very closely alUed, it is only by compaiiiig considerable 
numbers that definite results can be arrived at.— Address, 1, Pai-k Road Terrace, 
Forest Hill, London, S.E. 
