The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma Coleoptera Chrysomelidae (Hispinae and Cassidinae)

Abstract

THERE is evidence enough in this volume to show that many months of assiduous work must have gone to its preparation; but it leaves more than an impression that the author lacked experience to begin with, and had not quite mastered his subject. His descriptions are generally too long. An author of experience, using better judgment, would have confined his attention to essentials when describing species, and left out the rest, thus saving himself and his readers both time and trouble. It would have meant a lot in a volume like this, where 388 species altogether come under notice, and all but a few are described at length. Where the descriptions are long and the differential characters not clearly marked out, the keys to genera and species need to be well constructed and trustworthy.

The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Coleoptera. Chrysomelidae (Hispinae and Cassidinae).

By Prof. S. Maulik. Pp. xi + 439. (London: Taylor and Francis, July, 1919.) Price 1 guinea.