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Volume 27, Number 4
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present volume is the best of the lot, though from an esthetic standpoint the McCubbin book is more pleasing and the plates more readable, and the D'Abrera book covers more territory (see reviews of these books, J. Lepid. Soc. 26: 200-202).
The introductory chapters on "Structure and Life History," "Biology," "Behaviour and Other Aspects of Physiology," "Geographical Distribution" and "Classification and Nomenclature" are well-written, concise and informative. The authors have wisely side-stepped the matter of continental drift in their explanation of the geographic distribution of Australian butterflies and the derivation of these insects from those in other regions.
The general systematic accounts are excellent, but the arrangement is somewhat inconsistent. Many workers will have difficulty adjusting to the arrangement of families (Hesperiidae, Papilionidae, Pieridae, Nymphalidae, s. I., Libytheidae and Lycaenidae), presumably from primitive to specialized. Within families different arrangements are followed. The Coeliadinae are generally considered more "advanced" than are the Trapezitinae in the Hesperiidae, but following Evan's Catalogue the Coeliadinae are placed first. Conversely, the satyrids are arranged from "primitive" to "derived" in accordance with my 1968 revision. These inconsistencies by no means detract from the usefulness of this book, they only serve to distress the taxonomist slightly.
Each species description is accompanied by a distribution map, hopefully setting a pattern for similar works in other regions (Riley and Higgins also did this in their European book). Unfortunately, all the maps are uniform—more information on very localized species could have been derived from a map of a smaller area. The authors are nevertheless to be congratulated on the inclusion of maps.
The figures are quite usable. Genitalic figures are given for only those species that cannot be distinguished superficially. The larval and pupal figures could have been stronger had they been accompanied by line representations of chaetotaxy, perhaps in the text.
The section on "Collection and Study" is informative and applicable to any region, the "Glossary" defines technical terms and the "Food Plant List" summarizes the known butterfly-plant relationships. The currency of the book is attested to by inclusion of new information that came to the authors' attention after completion of the manuscript.
There are few typographical errors, one of the most glaring being "pleural" instead of "plural" on page 56. Such errors must be accepted; some are completely unavoidable.
On balance, the authors have done an excellent job, and if one is interested in Australian butterflies, he must have this book. It can stand alone as a reference for the area and is a worthy successor to G. A. Waterhouse's forty-year-old What Butterfly Is That? This work should be a standard forty years from now.
Lee D. Miller, Allyn Museum of Entomology, 3701 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota, Florida 33580.
NOTES AND NEWS
FIRST KARL JORDAN MEDAL AWARDED TO HENRI STEMPFFER
The Karl Jordan Medal (J. Lepid. Soc. 26: 207-209) was awarded for the first time at the annual banquet during the Society's 24th Annual Meeting in Sarasota, Florida, on 23 June 1973. The Jordan Medal was presented to M. Henri Stempffer of Paris, France, by the sponsor of the medal, Mr. A. C. Allyn.
M. Stempffer was awarded the medal for his various works on the Lycaenidae, especially those of Africa, culminating in his "The Genera of the African Lycaenidae
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Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society
Presentation of the Karl Jordan Medal, Sarasota, Florida, 23 June 1973. From left: Henri Stempffer, Mme. Stempffer, A. C. Allyn.
(Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera)" (1967, Bull. British Mus. [Nat. Hist.], Suppl. 10: 322 p., illustrated). These careful pieces of work have become standards for students of the African fauna in a relatively short period of time.
It was gratifying to many of us who had long used M. Stempffer's works to have the opportunity to meet him in person. Though he has never had a formal academic connection, M. Stempffer's work has placed him in the forefront of workers on the African fauna, and he is truly representative of the type worker for whom the Karl Jordan Medal was intended.
Lee D. Miller, Allyn Museum of Entomology, 3701 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota, Florida 33580.
It is time again to thank a number of persons for their assistance to me during the past year. The members of the Editorial Committee of the Journal willingly reviewed most of the submitted manuscripts. In addition, the following individuals reviewed one or more manuscripts upon request: D. E. Berube, L. P. Brower, H. K. Clench, H. A. Freeman, D. F. Hardwick, C. G. Kellogg, C. D. MacNeill, E. G. Munroe, J. A. Powell, F. H. Rindge, and O. R. Taylor. The helpful assistance of all of these people is gratefully acknowledged. Two editorial assistants, Nancy Wells and Elaine Doyle, served with patience and skill, and I especially thank them for their efforts. The cover drawing (Sphinx vashti Strecker) was kindly provided by William H. Howe.
Theodore D. Sargent