18, 3 Light: Notes on Philippine Termites, I 245 
accepted rules of nomenclature, from failure to investigate 
generic types and designate them in the case of new genera, 
and from lack of clear definitions of generic and subgeneric 
groups, as well as from the inherent difficulties involved in 
‘systematic work in a group where polymorphism occurs and 
where it is often necessary to establish species and even genera 
without all the variants, the adult or the soldiers being unknown 
in many cases. Conservatism on the part of the older workers 
in the group and a dislike to make radical changes in well- 
established generic names is easily understood and to be ex- 
pected, and it may be said before going any further that the 
system of classification due mainly to Holmgren, and in part 
to Silvestri, Wasmann, Froggatt, and others seems to present 
a very natural arrangement of the families and genera of ter- 
mites. Banks, however, in a recent monograph on Nearctic 
termites, not only has presented a new grouping of the genera 
but has made radical changes in generic names based on a 
study of type species. Odontotermes and Microcerotermes, for 
example, become synonyms and are replaced, respectively, by 
the older generic names Termes and Eutermes, at present ap- 
plied to other and very large groups. 
Such a condition places the beginner in the field in a most 
unfortunate position. He recognizes on the one hand, the 
splendid results of the older workers and sympathizes with their 
very natural sentiments with regard to names of long standing, 
which are recognized by practically all termitologists; but, on 
the other hand, he sees the need and the great importance of 
definite rules of nomenclature. Therefore, he stands, as it were, 
at the parting of the ways, hesitant as to the path he shall 
follow, lacking that confidence which can only come from a 
mature knowledge of the field and, hence, feeling a natural tem- 
erity at the idea of attempting to change long-established usage 
but, on the other hand, lacking that sentiment for the older 
hames so natural to one to whom the work of years has endeared 
them and, especially if a younger man, he finds himself facing 
&@ Most unpleasant dilemma. 
If further researches show that Banks’s contentions as to 
generic types are justified, it seems inevitable that the changes 
in generic names which he proposes must in part at least be 
adopted. Not being able to verify them myself, however, I shall 
*Banks, Nathan, A Revision of the Nearctic Termites, Bull. U. S. Nat. 
Mus. 108 (1920). 
