Bibliographical Notices. 53 trachea and muscles. Its affinity to Scansores is also^ I think, explained by the great facility with which it scrambles or climbs over rocks and stumps*. I have considered Scansores as distinct from Insessores throughout this paper; and think that ornithologists will, until more is known of the anatomy of birds than at pre-sent, find it convenient to class Birds in the following Orders, which may be distinguished in general by their skeletons : — Raptores,.Volitores (containing the Fissirostral groups), Scansores, Insessores, Rasores, Cursores, Gralla-TORES and Natatores. Perhaps the Pigeons also with ad-vantage may be divided from the other Rasores. BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. An Introduction to the modern Classification of Insects, founded on the Natural Habits and Corresponding Organization of the different Families. By J. O. Westwood, F.L.S., &c. 2 vols. 8vo, with Figures. London : Longman and Co. No branch of natural science has made such extraordinary and rapid strides within the last few years in this country as the study of insects. The contrast which it exhibits at the present day, com-pared with its state thirty years ago, is most striking. Then, at the period when we commenced our entomological career, the literature of the science was most meagre and marrowless ; we had, it is true, for our guides Stewart's * Elements,' Marsham's * Coleoptera,' Ha-worth's * Lepidoptera,' and the picture-books of Doudran, estimable works enough in their way, but from which the inquirer who wished to obtain more than a knowledge of the mere name of his species would not derive a particle of philosophy. The minute investigations of the anatomist, the principles of natural classification founded upon the various relations of the different tribes and the variations in the metamorphoses of all insects, save the Lepidoptera, were subjects scarcely dreamt of ; and, in truth, the entomologist merited no other name than that of a collector, his only aim being the getting toge-ther of as great a number of species as possible, and storing them up in his cabinets. The appearance of the first two volumes of the * Introduction* of Messrs. Kirby and Spence placed the science on a far different foot-ing, showing the inquirer, in a most engaging manner, that it pos-sessed far higher claims to his attention. In these delightful vo-lumes the natural history and ceconomy of the insect tribes were proved to be as interesting and worthy of observation as those of the highest animals. The subsequent appearance of the third and fourth volumes of the same work opened the wide field of insect anatomy and the principles of entomological classification ; thus forming, * See CoUhis's Account of New South Wales.
BioStor
