632 TAXONOMY. 



Thus Linnaeus has wished to indicate the beauty of the butterflies by 

 giving them names from the mythology and the mythic history of the 

 Greeks, and restored the heroes and gods of the infancy of the human 

 race in them ; we here again find Apollo and the Muses, Jason and his 

 companions, and the vigorous warriors of the plains of Troy. 



The genitive of the predicate is also of a double kind. In the one 

 case it exhibits the locality of the insect, either in its larva or perfect 

 state. In this case the substantive is either the name of the plant or 

 animal upon which the insect lives as a parasite, or parts of them, 

 when they dwell only on certain parts, for example, Apion Ulicis, Ceu- 

 torhynchus Echii Balaninus nucum, (Eslrus ovis, Gastrus equi, 

 Pediculus capilis, &c. The second kind of genitives of the predicate 

 consists of the names insects have received in honour of meritorious 

 entomologists, the person imposing the name wishing thereby to ex- 

 press his estimation for such individuals, for their scientific exertions. 

 Thus we have Carabus Linnei, C. Fabricii, C. Germari, C. Schon- 

 herri, &c. But latterly there has been too much liberality in thus 

 naming after individuals, for mere collectors, known to nobody but the 

 namer himself, have been thus immortalised. In these instances the 

 idea spontaneously suggests itself, that the namer has thereby wished 

 to raise his friend to the rank of those entomologists who have promoted 

 the science by their study and industry, and consequently thus express 

 the esteem in which he holds their works. But he who cannot distin- 

 guish between the merits of a naturalist and a collector had better be 

 silent, lest, by uttering a word, he should betray himself. 



THE END. 



BRADBUR7 AND EVANS, PRINTERS, WHITEFRIARS. 



