]5G BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 



But he is wrong, however, in disparaging the use of the " long double-barrelled 

 Latin'' names which at present distinguish our Indian butterflies. 



From a scientific point of view, such a nomenclature, though, no doubt, somewhat 

 " heavy," is a necessity as much in the study of butterflies as in any other branch 

 of Natural History. 



At home, where we have only some sixty odd specimens to deal with, it has been 

 easy enough to affix appropriate popular names to the several species, but I would 

 remind Mr. Newnham that the 'double-barrelled Latin" names are in no way 

 extinct, and were the original ones. They are, of course, the only ones used by 

 naturalists when discussing the subject. In my opinion it would be a much harder 

 tax on the memory to be able to recall some hundred popular nicknames, than to 

 remember the specimens by their generic and specific names, for the use of the 

 generic name supplies a cue to the specific name. 



Mr. Newnham has apparently a prejudice against these long-sounding Latin 

 strains, and has passed them by rather too casually, for he has failed to observe any 

 indications of appearance or habits in them. I select a few out of the many to 

 support my argument. 



P. leucocera, Castalius interruptus, Telicota bumbusa, E. unclular's, Abisara 

 svffusa, Zizera pigmea, Junonia asterie — all denote either appearance or habits. 

 There are hundreds of others named on the same principle. Many have been 

 named from the locality in which they appear to frequent, some from the original 

 discoverer, and others have been named " poetically and beautifully," and it is 

 precisely these latter which are of little use to the investigator and collector- 

 Provided poetry and beauty are combined in a name, with some indication of the 

 habits or appearance of the insects, it is all right; but mere nicknames, such as the 

 " Leaf" butterfly or the " Camberwell Beauty," are useless and undesirable. With 

 regard to the former nicknames, I shall have something to add later on. 



One specimen, Bedamia cxclamatiotris, appears to have been so called from the 

 many ineffectual attempts (accompanied by strong language) to capture it ! 



Our Indian butterflies possess, no doubt, as many peculiarities as their English 

 relations, but these peculiarities have yet to be noticed and recorded in the majority 

 of cases before any suitable and expressive names can be permanently chosen. Some 

 of the more well-known species have received popular names, either from amateur 

 collectors (? I refer to those who purchase boxes of butterflies to send home or 

 decorate rooms with), or from the soldiers and school-boys up-country, such as the 

 Rose butterfly, the Leaf, &c, &c. This latter, I believe, is really Kallima inachis, 

 but there are several others to be found in India" exactly alike" (except to the eye 

 of an expert)," only a little different," as Pat would say. Does Mr. Newnham 

 propose that all such butterflies should be called " Leaf" butterflies ? For, if not, 

 a man would still require to be a naturalist to be able to distinguish them, and, if 

 so, then we should get very puzzled in identifying the exact insect caught unless 

 wc saw it, whereas if he uses the scientific name there is at once an end to all 

 doubt as to its identity. I do not see (and should like to see the matter thoroughly 

 investigated! how such an introduction would in any way further the work of 

 naturalists in this country ; and it is to them we must look to complete in time a 

 branch of Natural History which receives h very scant attention or interest at the 



