ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 



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PHILADELPHIA, PA., FEBRUARY, 1905. 



If in the evolution of species there had been no breaks or gaps 

 it would be impossible to differentiate species, and even now 

 complete series would make it very difficult to draw lines and 

 separations. Our tools, so to speak, for the identification of 

 species may be divided into figures, word descriptions and 

 types. Some very distinguished entomologists believed in the 

 former two tools only, as they did not care to go beyond the 

 failure or the possibilities of the tools. A carpenter may say 

 feet and inches are fine but millimeters are of doubtful value 

 and micromillimeters perfectly idiotic. . We can sympathize 

 with that carpenter as micromillimeters are of no value to him. 

 Figures and more particularly words may appear equally 

 idiotic to some entomologists because they are inadequate to 

 describe or differentiate some of the minute differences in in- 

 sects. In other words, in some instances the study has gone 

 beyond the standards of measurement. When we are stranded 

 in this way recourse must be had to types, and that is why 

 types are becoming more and more worshipped every day. 

 Would it not be infinitely better to wait until the tools or 

 standards of measurement become delicate enough to measure 

 all differences and not let the mi hi itch run away with our 

 sound judgment? 



To make the thing clearer and perhaps to illustrate and ex- 

 aggerate a tendency we cite the following : The celebrated 

 mammologist, Dr. Coyote, discovers a peculiar beetle among 



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