322 [December, 



ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 



Published monthly (except July and August), in charge of the joint 

 publication committees of the Entomological Section of the Academy 

 of Natural Sciences, of Philadelphia, and the American Entomological 

 Society. It will contain not less than 300 pages per annum. It will main- 

 tain no free list whatever, but will leave no measure untried to make it a 

 necessity to every student of insect life, so that its very moderate annual 

 subscription may be considered well spent. 



ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION $1.00, IN ADTANCE. 



Outside of the United States and Canada $1.2O. 



SiH" All remittances should be addressed to E. T. Cresson, Treasurer, 

 P. O. Box 248, Philadelphia, Pa.; all other communications to the Editors 

 of ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS, Academy of Natural Sciences, Logan Square, 

 Philadelphia, Pa. 



PHILADELPHIA, PA., DECEMBER, 1895. 



GEOGRAPHIC NAMES. 



THE subject of geographic names is one of more or less interest to the 

 entomologist. A description of a species without a locality is well-nigh 

 useless: and a precise habitat is worth one-half the description. Not- 

 withstanding the importance of geographic names, a great many ento- 

 mologists are wont to treat them in a perfunctory manner, hastily jotting 

 down 111., if Illinois be meant, or Pa., or Penn., perhaps, for Pennsyl- 

 vania, or worse still O., which every one is supposed to understand 

 means Ohio not Oregon or Oklahoma. Of course such abbreviations 

 are understood by Americans, but there are others whose geographic 

 knowledge of the United States is limited, and who know not whether 

 N. Mex. means New Mexico or Northern Mexico; or whether Miss, stands 

 for Mississippi or Missouri. A like abbreviation of geographic names in 

 such countries as Russia, Austro-Hungary, or in fact, any foreign country, 

 would certainly cause utter confusion among non-inhabitants not thor- 

 oughly versed in local ways outside of their own. If systematists would 

 consider that their work is not for those immediately surrounding them, 

 perhaps we would see fewer locality names given whose meaning is, 

 more or less, ambiguous. Americans are the worst offenders in this 

 respect. . F. 



NOTICE. Those who wish to continue their subscriptions to 

 Entomological News for 1896, will please indicate their desire to the 

 Treasurer, before January ist next. No change in price. 



