THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 285 



ON WING-VEIN NOMENCLATURE. 



BY JOHN A. GROSSBECK, NEW BRUNSWICK, N. J. 



It will be noticed that in the preceding paper on Geometrid?e, I have 

 used the Comstockian terms for designating wing-veins. Heretofore these 

 have not been used by any writers on this family of moths ; in 'act, they 

 have been very little used by writers in any family. The reason for this 

 is, not that the system is not a good one, but because it is comparatively 

 new. Most of the older writers have become used to the number system, 

 having emi)loyed it in all their previous work, and therefore retain it to 

 preserve uniformity, and perhaps make no effort to familiarize themselves 

 with the new dispensation. 



There is no reason, however, why the new generation of entomolo- 

 gists should not adopt a system of nomenclature which, as it applies to 

 insects of all orders, is obviously a more natural one. Dr. John B. 

 Smith, a rather conservative entomologist in my opinion, has, in the 

 Glossary he has just completed for the Brooklyn Entomological Society, 

 laid the foundation for the more general adoption of the new system by 

 using one of the plates to illustrate wings of various orders, and attempt- 

 ing to reduce all terms defined in the text to terms used in these figures. 

 This is an obvious step toward bringing the system into more general use, 

 though Dr. Smith, as an older entomologist, may continue to use the 

 number system in his future work on Noctuidae. The number of 

 synonyms to the few names Prof. Comstock employs to cover the entire 

 wing venation is surprisingly great (as may be seen by referring to the 

 above mentioned Glossary), and there could be no better illustration of 

 the need of bringing the terminology to a simple and rational basis. 



Singular Locality for a Wasp's Nest. — On Mount Royal, on 

 the outskirts of Montreal, there are two large cemeteries, the Roman 

 Catholic and the Protestant. In the former, far up in a lonesome spot 

 among the trees is a Calvary — three huge crosses ; the centre one bearing 

 a life-size figure of the Saviour, and the two side figures representing the 

 two thieves. One thief — the penitent one — is represented hanging his 

 head as if dead, the other thief as living and railing at the central figure. 

 For several years past, hornets have each summer built a nest immediately 

 at the back of the impenitent thief, between the hollow of the back and 

 the cross, and can be seen flying in and out from each side during the 

 whole season. So far they have never built a nest behind the other two 

 figures, and the faithful in the city attach great significance to this curious 

 circumstance. 



At another piece of sculpture representing the tomb at Gethsemane, 

 with a recumbent figure of the Saviour, there is a bush with a branch 

 hanging over the tomb, and on this a yellow bird has built its nest. The 

 selection of sites by wasps and bird is regarded as being very remarkable 

 and suggestive. M. Waring Davis, Montreal. 



