10(S JOURNAL OF THE WASHINGTON ACADEMY OF SCIENCES VOL. 11, NO. .') 



large part true. The idea he defends is undoubtedly logical, it en- 

 courages and necessitates the study of the history of classification, 

 but it is beset with certain practical difficulties. The application 

 of the principle of priority would bring about some curious changes 

 of which the following may serve as an example. 



The genus Bracon is the type genus of the family Braconidae and 

 should also be the type genus of all minor divisions of the family in 

 which it is included. The application of the rule of priority and the 

 other rules advanced by Dr. Oberholser would make this last impossi- 

 ble. Years ago the family was divided into subfamilies and these 

 subfamilies were given names formed on the root of one of the generic 

 names included. The students who proposed these names paid but 

 little consideration to genotypes and their subfamily Braconinae was 

 founded on their conception of the group Bracon rather than the genus 

 of the genotype. The genus Bracon of the genotype belongs to a 

 different subfamily, termed "Agathinae," which was proposed at the 

 same time as the subfamily Braconinae. According to the law of 

 priority the subfamily name Agathinae must hold for the group (be- 

 cause the name of its type genus (Agathus) remains unchanged) even 

 though the genus Bracon is added to it ; and the name of the old group 

 Braconinae must be changed to Microbraconinae, and have as its 

 type the generic name which replaces Bracon of authors (not the 

 genotype). Perhaps the following summary will make this clearer: 



Braconidae. 



Braconinae Marshall, 1887 = Microbraconinae. 



Type. — Bracon Auctt. nee Fabricius = Microbracon Ashmead. 

 Agathinae Marshall, 1887. 



Type.— Agathus Latreille, 1805. 



Includes — Cremnops Foerster, 1802 = Bracon Fabricius, 1804. 



Hymenopterists have not followed the above but have formed the 

 subfamily names on the oldest included genus and thus have a sub- 

 family Braconinae in the family Braconidae. We call the Agathinae 

 the Braconinae and the Braconinae of Marshall, Ashmead and others 

 Vipiinae. 



Other curious and unusual cases could be cited and it is practically 

 certain that no set of rules could be made which would, without in- 

 terpretation and emendation, cover all cases which will arise. There 

 are numerous and difficult questions connected with the application 

 of the rules governing generic names, many of which are not covered 

 by the International Code, and when it is possible to have a method 



