22 THE CANADUN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



BOOK NOTICES. 



Rules for regulating nomenclature with a view to secure a strict ap- 

 plication of the law of priority in entomological work; compiled by 

 Lord Walsingham and John Hartley Durrant (Merton rules). Longmans, 

 Green & Co., London., New Yx)rk, and Bombay; 2nd Nov., 1896; 

 18 pages. Price sixpence. 



The rules are for the most part a good statement of current practice, 

 with the suggestion of a considerable number of signs to facilitate brevity 

 of reference without loss of accuracy. These may advantageously be 

 adopted. 



Rules 7, 20, 21, 24, 25, 29 and 30 imply a much more rigidly 

 classical attitude in regard to names than is prevalent in America. The 

 authors would have all names according to the rules of Latin orthography, 

 and would change those that are not, even so radically as gypsodadylus 

 for cretidactyius. Names with similar sound are rejected ; e. g., Ucetia 

 invalidates Eusesia ; also those which involve a false proposition, or are 

 offensive politically, morally, or by irreverence. 



Rule 12 defines publication as including the possibility of purchase. 

 If the rule be not extended, it would invalidate all species published in 

 Government or private papers which are distributed without charge. 



The definition of a genus by designation of type without description 

 is not referred to, and apparently is condemned by implication. 



The case of restriction of a heterotypical genus to one type by the 

 successive removal of species to other genera by subsequent authors is 

 not explicitly stated, and might well be added to rule 42. 



A few rules about the formation of family names might have been 

 added, for example : 



1. Family names shall be formed by adding — idse to the stem of 

 some genus included in the family. 



2. The generic name so used must be a valid one. 



3. The first generic name used in a plural form shall be the one so 

 used for the family type unless it be invalid, in which case the next 

 generic name included in the family, which has been used in a plural 

 sense, shall be substituted according to the rule of priority. 



Harrison G. Dyar. 



