THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 219 



tlieir alterations in dictionary form, so tliat when in doubt as to a name 

 one could see at a glance to what tlieir new names referred. At the same 

 time, I think they are making a mistake in these alterations for the sake 

 of some priority of a name given by some obscure writer, and which has 

 been ignored by his immediate successors, to whom his work must have 

 been known, and which possibly is the less appropriate of the two, and 

 how do they know that the rest of the world will adopt their nomenclature ? 

 To say the least, it does not appear to me to be the way to popu- 

 larize entomology, which should be one object, if not the chief one, of all 

 writers on the subject. People get rather disgusted when, having acquired 

 one set of names, they have, for no real scientific or economic reason, to 

 forget them and learn others. 



At light I hardly took anything, although besides a lamp in the 

 window I had constantly a '"trap" in an excellent situation. The trap was 

 built from a sketch given me by my kind friend, Mr. Merrick, of New 

 Brighton, Pa., and judging from the number of flies that came therein to 

 an untimely end, and one catch of moths, it would have been most effective 

 had there been any number on the wing during the season generally. I 

 took no Sphingidae, no Arctians, very few Geometers, and hardly a Micro, 

 and none of the other species which come to light. The flies consisted 

 chiefly of Tipulai and various w^ater-flies, with a few Ichneumons. If any 

 of my readers would care for such "small deer," I should be happy to 

 save them on receiving instructions how to preserve them. The legs of 

 "Daddy Long Legs" seem to have a rooted objection to remaining 

 attached to their parent bodies, and I should be glad to know how best to 

 deal with them for safe transit. 



There was a fair show of Xylhias up to almost the middle of Septem- 

 ber, and I took for the first time that nondescript, capax, G. and R., 

 which seems to be stuck on to the Xylinas for want of a better place, 

 though I should much question if it really belongs to that genus. After 

 this date the nights became so cool that nothing hardly showed at treacle, 

 and the late autumn species were conspicuous by their absence. 



A Polia was tolerably abundant, which has hitherto gone by the 

 name of co?i/ragosa, Morr. 1 sent some to Mr. Wolley Dod, and he, 

 doubting the correctness of the determination (which was not mine, by the 

 way), sent some to Dr. Dyar, who Fays he thinks they are a new species 

 between medialis^ Grote, and contadina^ Smith. 



