52 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



fications, which are only specific. It is the kind, constancy or amount of 

 these modifications which must decide the class in our artificial divisions 

 of these natural objects. And here the tact of the specialist, of which 

 Dr. Williston also speaks, comes into play. With regard to the criterion 

 for species, I have expressed myself already clearly in these pages, so far 

 as the Lepidoptera are concerned. For the student of butterflies and 

 moths, the criterion for species must lie in a knowledge of the whole life 

 of the insect. If it breeds true to type, nowhere encroaching upon the 

 cycle of it? neighbour, we must bestow a specific title. The insect is to- 

 day a species, whatever its ancestry, whatever its probable future develop- 

 ment. The fact, from our experience, may be assumed without a know, 

 ledge of the larva and natural history, but jmtil this knowledge is also 

 added to our observations on the perfect insect, the specific title is not 

 firmly or conclusively founded. This is what I meant to say with regard 

 to the forms of Calliinorpha. Now in separating the forms of Datana, 

 we had alcoholic specimens of the larva and the personal observa- 

 tions of Mr. Angus to fall back upon, for most of the species. And the 

 fact with these moths that in the earliest stages the species are not dis- 

 tinguishable on sight, has been shown by Mr. Wm. H. Edwards to be 

 true with nearly related butterflies, as for instance species of Colias. 

 While breeding has revealed to us a number of questions, such as 

 dimorphism, which we must take into consideration, I must still renew 

 my protest against hnnping upon grounds drawn from the perfect insect 

 alone and upon insufficient evidence. The new facts lead us insensibly 

 to criticize species, to conceive a prejudice against them, and then to lump 

 without sufficient evidence. And I repeat, that as Entomologists we are 

 here to discriminate, to separate, not to confound. Butterflies were by 

 the ancient Hebrews classed among "flying things." From this primitive 

 conception of their place in animated nature, we have gradually come 

 to-day into nearer definitions of their relatioitship. 



In the discussion of all these questions there can be no progress 

 without reasonableness. Temper and even position will not ultimately 

 decide these questions, although the melancholy conclusion of Spinoza 

 is here not without its truth : " unusquisque tantum juris habet, quantum 

 potentia valet." The appeal to time need not always have to be made. 

 A great deal of what is wrong and one-sided need not afflict us, as 

 Entomologists, if we would only take matters coolly, or only grow warm 

 over the beauties of our treasures. 



