inches long and about three wide. Others occur somewhat larger. but there is no other important variation. Occasionally, an unusually shaped stone will be found to have been utilized as a hamFig. 26.

well directed, would give an opponent a fearful blow, but we

split smoothly off, making it, not a hollow gouge, but a smooth chisel. The under surface is oval, rocking to and fro if agitated while lying on that side. A sufficient number of such specimens

have been found to consider them as we have done above, rather than as adzes, hatchets or ungrooved axes.

The specimens that we have described so far have been all ordinary surface-found specimens-with one exception-and we cannot see that their use was less apparent for that fact, although a damper is thrown on one's ardor in collecting them, when Sir John Lubbock assures us that "those found singly in this manner have

comparatively little scientific value;" but we have not alone met with specimens thus singly found, but have met with several instances where quite large deposits of "axes" have been encountered in digging cellars and similar excavations. For what purpose this was done, nothing about "the find" gave any clue. It was only probable that for the sake of concealment from enemies or other purpose, a considerable excavation had been made and these axes therein deposited. In one case, in digging a cellar in Trenton, N. J., one-hundred and twenty were found. Again, in excavating the

"receiving vault" of the Riverview Cemetery, near Trenton, “a bushel basket full of axes were found, packed close together and six feet under ground." On the face of the bluff fronting the Delaware River below Trenton, several instances have come under the notice of the author. In the first two instances, the specimens were all grooved cobblestone axes. In one instance, below Trenton, the axes, over fifty, were all of porphyry, and were such as that figured above (Fig. 16). It is not a little strange that in these "finds" of axes, we have as yet invariably failed to meet with any other Fig. 30.

1-3 natural size.

class of tools or weapons. One word as to "inscribed axes," such as that figured in "Dr. Wilson's Prehistoric Man" (2d ed. page 412, Fig. 49). When we remember that axes such as these have been for nearly two centuries (150 years at least) exposed twice yearly to the scratching of a plow, it is not strange that they should ultimately become considerably "inscribed;" and we can find a happy combination of Phoenician, Arabic, Hebraic and other letters scratched here and there over the surface of many specimens, although not with, the astonishing regularity of that given in the figure above quoted of the axes from Pemberton, Burlington Co., New Jersey. To be continued in next number.

REVIEWS AND BOOK

A NEW CATALOGUE OF BUTTERFLIES.

NOTICES.

More than twenty years ago Messrs Doubleday and Hewitson, in their classic work "The genera of diurnal Lepidoptera," commenced a synonymic list of

*A Synonymic Catalogue of Diurnal Lepidoptera, by W. F. Kirby, Svo, London, 1871, pp. viii, 690.

the species of butterflies, then known attempting to refer them to the genera usually recognized, or to those established by themselves. Since that time, the number of described forms has enormously increased, while the labor of specialists has multiplied the recognized genera at a nearly corresponding rate. Such being the state of the case, a faithful attempt to reduce the chaos to more or less complete order must be welcomed by every working lepidopterist; the task is in many respects a thankless one, inasmuch as by its very nature it must soon become antiquated and no amount of supplements can prevent the absolute necessity of an entirely new catalogue in the course of one or two decades. Let us then present to Mr. Kirby the thanks of the present generation of American entomologists on the accomplishment of his undertaking.

The classification of the larger groups in the work under review is mainly that proposed not long since by Mr. Bates—one which is undoubtedly an advance upon its predecessors, but which still seems open to criticism—Mr. Kirby, however, has altered some of the names accepted by Mr. Bates, supplanting, for instance, Erycinidae by Lemoniida because the generic name Erycina proves to be preoccupied. The justice of this does not seem to us manifest; and in any case they are both antedated by the name Vestales given to this group by Herbst as early as 1793, but which has never since been recognized.

The treatment of the genera is independent, but rather unequal, depending apparently either on the compiler's autoptical familiarity with the included species, or upon the amount of study given by naturalists generally to certain groups. He has not hesitated to make some very radical changes in nomenclature, and these appear to us almost invariably just and in strict obedience to the principles exposed in the preface; indeed it seems questionable whether he has always been sufficiently sweeping in this respect; for example: the genus Papilio founded by Linné for all butterflies was restricted first by Fabricius to the families Nymphalidæ and Papilionide of the present catalogue, and next by Schrank to the Nymphalide alone; and yet Mr. Kirby retains it in the modern sense, which has indeed the unanimous consent of entomologists, but which cannot be defended by just rules of nomenclature. This seems the more indefensible in Mr. Kirby in that he has himself pointed out this error in previous writings. No doubt

such a step would have subjected him to harsh criticism, but no doubt too it would eventually have gained acceptance and saved the generation to come from a confusion and war of words from which we still trust they may be exempt.

As the author states in his preface, there are not wanting the usual accompaniments of such a catalogue-" magazine" genera; but he has specified these and they are fortunately few in number. The species of each genus are numbered and classed according to the author's views of their affinities, certainly an undertaking very difficult of accomplishment, which only the fortunate ability of the compiler to consult the large English collections cou'd render feasible; those which are unclassed are placed separately at the end of each group; more intimate relationships are designated by repeated numbers followed by a letter, only the first descriptions and those of iconographs are cited, excepting where a species has been described under more than one name, and the dates are invariably added; it is, however, to be regretted that the specie nomenclature commences only from the twelfth edition of the Systema Naturæ.* Regional distribution is marked in a distinct column for more ready reference.

In the appendix, corrections are made, the work is brought down to March 1871, and the author has taken the opportunity to alter some generic names. The index is very full and correct. Having already had occasion to use it some thousands of times, we have chanced to discover but one omission and no misprint whatever. The synonymic words are printed in the same type as the others but the genera are distinguished by capitals; the prime merit of the index consists in its condensation, it being printed in small type and in quadruple columns, so that each letter of the alphabet hardly averages over a page of names. As the work is one wholly of reference it will be seen how valuable is such a fea

ture.

With regard to our own species, the author states in his preface that he has been in correspondence with American writers upon the subject, so that the catalogue is quite complete. We could point out a few errors into which he has fallen and mistakes which he has failed to correct, but since our own knowledge of the synonymy of the species and their proper ge eric location is by no means perfect, and even a matter of cispute among ourselves, such

* In his more recent writings, Mr. Kirby goes back to the tenth edition.