In the year 1792, several valuable works were pro duced, and amongst others, the first part of a very con siderable work, the Natural History of British Insects, by Edward Donovan, which has since been continued in monthly numbers until the present time. The design of this immense undertaking is, to afford general and scientific descriptions of all the insects of Great Britain, accompanied with a coloured figure of each, as far as possible, in their various states'of transformation. The work at this time consists of eighteen volumes, and in cludes an extensive variety of the species, being the most extensive work hitherto undertaken as an elucida tion of the Entomology of Britain. It is in octavo, and still continues to appear in monthly numbers.
Thomas Martyn published in this year, in imperial quarto, at London, The English Entomologist, exhibit ing all the colt opterous Insects found in England, in cluding upwards of five hundred d fferent Species, the Figures of which have never been given to the Public ; the whole accurately drawn and painted after nature, arran ged and named according to the Linnean system. 1 he. figures given in this work are useless, and its letter is but indifferent.
Fabricius in this year published his Entomologia Systematica: a supplement appeared in 1798, under which head we shall notice his system.
Paykull also, whose name we have often noticed, produced his Monographia Cure:1;1012nm Succix ; a spe cies of writing which has tended more than any other to the promotion of natural history.
In 1793, the Fjusdem Buytrdge :ur Geschichte der In secten, Erlangze of Panzer, appeared, who in the same year began his most interesting work in monthly num bers, entitled Fauna lnscatoruiu Germanica _Thalia, oder Deutehland Inscescn, auctore W. F. Panzer, which still continues to be published.
Dr Smith's Tcur on the continent in 1786 and 1787, appeared in this year. It contains some interesting re marks on the insects which occurred in his journey.
And Nicolaus Joseph Wallin. Verauch ciner Fauna Ent•mologica der Gegcnd um Mainz. Rheinisches Ma gazin zur Erweiterung der natu•kzinde, herausgege /Ica von :Vet-1z Balthazar Borkhauzen. Giessen, 8vo.
Also an interesting work in 4to, entitled, Nomendator Tiber die in den R5selschen Insecten belustigungen und Kleemanschen Reytragen zur Insectengeschichte abge bildetrn und beschriebenen Insecten und 1Viirmer mit moglichst vollslaudiger Synonymic.. Erste Abtheilung. Nurnberg,.
In 1794, a second volume of Linnean Transactions was published, in which are the following papers : the history and descriptions of four new species of Pliclxna, ty Mr J. Beckwith ; a new arrangement of the genus Papilio of Lime, by W. Jones, which is so interesting, as coming from such excellent authority, that we can not refrain from laying before our readers an account of his innovations. The object of his paper was, to point out that the shape of the wings, (which forms a principal character with Lime in his distribution of the families of that genus,) though various at first view, approach each other so gradually, that it is impossible to draw from them the distinguishing line between each family. Linne, he observes, was acquainted with
about 274 species, whereas the writer of this memoir states, that he had seen above 1000 in different cabi nets, and about 400 more in various publications ; and tram an attentive examination of these, is induced to offer the following amendments to the characters of each of the Linnean families. Linne describes the Equitcs as having " the upper wings longer from the posterior &ngle to the point than to the base; antenna often filiform." Ile corrects the character thus: " Up per wings longer from the posterior angle to the point than to the base, occasioned by having four instead of three nerves, visible in every other family. The palpi often only a brush ; under wings, with a connecting nerve in the centre, and without an abdominal groove." —Hraconii: "Wings narrow, er;ire, often naked, or deprived of scales; upper wings long; under ones short." Linne. To this character is added, that the upper wings have "a connecting nerve in the centre, very slightly grooved to admit the abdomen, which, •vith the a.nt-mnx, are generally long."—Danii:" Wings entire." Linne. To which Jones adds, "-the under wings, with a connecting nerve in the centre, and a deep abdo minal groove ; palpi projecting."—. ymphaes: "Wings denticulated." Jones adds, " the under wings without a connecting nerve in the centre, with a deep abdominal groove; palpi p•ojecting."—Plebei: "Small rurales ; spots on wings obscure." Linne. Jones adds, " Thorax and abdomen slender ; under wings with no connecting nerve ; antennx clubbed; and these he divides into two sections, those with long, weak, flexi ble tails; and those without tails, and having the wings entirc.—Plebeii urbiculte : "Spots on the wings gene rally transparent." Linne. Mr Jones divides these into three sections, thus: 1. Thorax and abdomen short, thick or broad ; under wings without a connecting nerve; antennm hooked at their points. 2. Upper wings pointed at their extremities, and long in proportion to their width. 3. Upper wings less extended, and, together with their under wings, more round ; their margins entire.—To the Linnean families, Ali' Jones adds another, which he terms Romani, which are generally of a large size, with out the abdominal groove ; no connecting nerve ; anten na: generally sharpened ; and the nerves in both wings extending from their base to their extremities nearly in straight lines. We cannot conclude our account of this ingenious arrangement, without observing, that Mr Jones has made a series of drawings for the gratification of himself and friends, of every species which he could obtain access to, in a very elegant and correct style —In this volume Mr Marwich has given an account of Gmelin's Musca PUMiliOniS, to which some ingenious remarks are added by Mr Marsham.