]()() JOURNAL OF THE WASHINGTON ACADEMY OF SCIENCES VOL. 11, NO. 5 



limits of error of the pivoted antenna measurements and the results 

 of the two methods may be considered to agree. 



We may therefore assume in conclusion that for wave lengths over 

 10,000 meters, the deviation of the wave front from the vertical under 

 ordinary conditions at Anacostia does not much exceed three degrees. 



Static 



With the new apparatus it was possible to obtain the angle of the 

 wave front of the static disturbances with considerable accuracy. 

 It was found, contrary to the hypothesis that static comes from above, 

 that the static wave front is always practically vertical like the signal, 

 but that at times the two angles differ sufficiently to give a readable 

 signal on the static minimum. 



Preliminary observations in this work w^ere taken by T. H. Willey, 

 Electrician, U. vS. N., while observations with the final apparatus were 

 made by h- M. Clausing and W. F. McBride. 



ZOOLOGY. — The nomenclature of super generic names. ^ S. A. 

 RoHWER, Bureau of Entomology. 



The recent article by Dr. Harry C. Oberholser- on the nomenclature 

 of supergeneric'' names is by far the most comprehensive treatment 

 of the subject which has been published, and should form the basis 

 for a discussion of the subject which w411 lead to the establishment of 

 satisfactory rules covering this important question. The adoption, 

 as a part of the International Code, of any comprehensive and uniform 

 set of rules is most certainly to be accompanied by the change of many 

 supergeneric names and the matter should be considered by students 

 in all groups and an effort made to preserve as many of the best known 

 names as possible. 



Dr. Oberholser has made reference to the Hymenoptera at a num- 

 ber of different places in his article and it seems worth while to point 

 out certain overlooked points and show how the rules which he recom- 

 mends would work in certain groups within this order. On page 

 144 he implies that modern entomologists have endeavored to follow 

 the plan of naming the family after the oldest included genus, and 



' Received January 6, 1921. 



- The Nomenclature of Families and Subfamilies in Zoology. Science, n. scr. 52: 142- 

 147. 1920. 



■• I have used this term liccause 1 wish to inchide supcrfamilics, families, subfamilies, 

 tribes and subtriljes. 



