DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES OF LAMIA. 231 



ad libitum, the early Linnean and Fabrician names, and adopt 

 others merely from caprice, there will be no end of confusion. 

 Synonymy is always a perplexing study, and it is to prevent 

 a serious evil gaining further ground, that 1 here protest 

 against a system sadly too rife amongst naturalists, of chang- 

 ing well established names. The Baron De Jean, in his Ca- 

 talogue of 1838, adopts the term Batocera instead of Lamia 

 of Fabricius ; why a new-fangled term is to be used instead 

 of an old familiar name, remains to be explained. On the 

 ground of priority I support the ancient names, and I feel 

 convinced that there are many others who undoubtedly will 

 advocate the same cause. Had Lamia been the only Fabri- 

 cian term expunged by De Jean, I might have passed it over 

 with a slight remark ; but when I find Buprestis, Stenocho- 

 rus, and Haltica entirely abandoned, and the genera of Ce- 

 rambyx, Elater, Cnodidon, and Tritoma sunk into mere sy- 

 nonyms, and in their place the barbarous terms of Hammati- 

 cherus, Ampedus, and Amarygmus adopted, it is high time to 

 speak out, and endeavour to put a stop to an evil which must 

 embarrass science, and certainly greatly retard its progress. 

 In concluding my remarks, I quote a passage from the pre- 

 face of the Baron De Jean's last Catalogue, (vide page 11), 

 and for the future leave the question in other hands, hoping 

 that those who wish well for science will oppose a system 

 which, if acted on, can only lead to inextricable confusion. 

 " Quoique je me sois toujours prononce contre le principe ex- 

 clusif de l'adoption du nom le plus anciennement publie, ce 

 n'est pas cependant que je pense qu' un auteur ait le droit de 

 changer les noms qui ont ete etablis avant lui, ce n'est nulle- 

 ment cela que j'ai voulu dire. Je crois, au contraire, qxCil 

 faut conserver les anciens noms, mais lorsqu'il y en a plusieurs, 

 on a le droit de choisir, et il faut alors prendre le plus en 

 usage, ou celui adopte dans Touvrage le plus marquant et le 

 plus repandu, au lieu de s'attacher uniquement a la date de la 

 publication." With respect to the above passage I have only 

 to add " that the ancient names ought to be retained ; " and 

 acting on the suggestion of the Baron, -I prefer the ancient 

 Lamia to the modern Batocera, as it is a name in common 

 usage, and occurs in one of the works of Fabricius, certainly 

 " le plus marqnant et le plus repandu" viz. the ' Sy sterna 

 Eleutheratorum.' 



Lamia Boisduvalii, Hope. (Sup. Plates No. 2.) 

 L. Boisduvalii. Long. lin. 25 ; lat. lin. 8. 



Nigro-cinerea, thorace bispinoso elylris albidis maculis oraatis, lmme- 

 ris subspinosis, sutura ad apicem in spinam dcsinentc. 



