172 On Generic Nomenclature. 



genus; but Latreille did not know the name of its type. But 

 the third time he treated upon the genus he gave the Crabro 

 lugubris, as " l'espece la mieux determinee de ce genre;" 

 which was true enough, for it was the only species whose 

 specific name he had determined, not being acquainted even 

 with the name of the insect he had dissected and described as 

 the type in his Precis. He was now under the necessity of 

 giving a determined species of each genus : C. lugubris was 

 the only species which he had specifically ascertained. He 

 thought, from its general habit, that it was a Pemphredon, 

 and gave it as such ; but it happened, unfortunately, that he 

 subsequently (Gen. Crust., iv. 83.) ascertained that it was not 

 a Pemphredon ; but he chose rather to persist in his error, 

 and retained it in all his subsequent works as the type of 

 Pemphredon. But, in the mean time, an elaborate volume 

 on the Hymenoptera had appeared by Jurine, in which the 

 genus Cemonus was established, divided into two families ; 

 the first consisting of P. lugubris (*), P. minutus (f) ; and the 

 second containing a single species, P. unicolor (%). The genus 

 Stigmus was also here first proposed, the only named species 

 being Stigmus ater (pendulus Panzer) (\). From this work 

 Latreille learned the specific name of his original type of 

 Pemphredon, P. minutus ; and we have now to notice in 

 what manner he got over the difficulty into which he had 

 fallen, by giving an insect as the type of Pemphredon which 

 was not a Pemphredon. In his Genera Crustaceorum, &c, 

 he divided the genus into two sections, the first containing 

 only Pemphredon lugubris (*); and the second, only P. 

 unicolor (j). Thus the genus was synonymous with Jurine's 

 Cemonus, except that P. minutus (•]-) was removed. 



The next genus was Stigmus, divided into two sections : 

 the first, containing only P. minutus (f), to which this syno- 

 nyme was added, — " Genr. Pemphredon Latr. Prec. des 

 Caract. Gener. des Insect., p. 128."; and the second, con- 

 taining only Stigmus ater Jur. (\) Thus, instead of another 

 generic name having been given by Latreille to P. lugubris, 

 when he ascertained that it was not a Pemphredon, the 

 generic name was wrested from its true type, which was now 

 united with, and made the type of, Jurine's genus Stigmus, 

 which was thus itself reduced to a secondary division of the 

 genus of which it ought to have been retained as the type. 

 The treatment, indeed, by Latreille, of the genus Pemphre- 

 don reminds one very strongly of the tragedy of Hamlet 

 Prince of Denmark, the part of Hamlet being omitted by 

 particular desire. But, jesting aside, the circumstances which 

 I have stated are not such as would warrant the remodi- 



