Abstract
The objects of this little book are to aid its users in identifying and learning something about the larger insects in the British Isles. Owing to the number of species—more than twenty thousand—the size criterion is adopted in order to keep the subject within reasonable compass. Only species exceeding half an inch in body-length, or one inch in wing-span, are dealt with, and, in this way, the number of families to be described is reduced from more than three hundred to about 130. Groups consisting of very small insects only come in for mention if they are of special interest or of economic importance. It is surprising how well this very arbitrary standard has worked out in this manual. It is an accurate and well-written little book. The coloured plates and text-figures are adequate for their purpose and there is a useful list of works for consultation. A pleasing feature running through the pages is the indication (in brackets) of the meanings of the generic and specific names referred to: also the price of the work is very reasonable under present-day conditions.
An Insect Book for the Pocket
Edmund
Sandars
By. Pp. 350 (36 plates). (London: Oxford University Press, 1946.) 10s. 6d. net.
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I., A. An Insect Book for the Pocket. Nature 160, 553 (1947). https://doi.org/10.1038/160553d0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/160553d0