24 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



1S72, on Donovan's Papilibs) ; and often descriptions were made from 

 unreliable figures, instead of from the insect. 



Now, with these and other disadvantages that might be mentioned, 

 the authors who have undertaken to revise our Nomenclature have, each 

 for himself, fixed on this or that description as applying to this or that 

 insect, and there is frequent and serious disagreement between them. 

 This will sufficiently appear by comparing the two Catalogues hereinafter 

 mentioned, which, as to the names of British butterflies alone, that one 

 might suppose had been settled long ago, differ as to the correct specific 

 name to the extent of one-seventh of the whole number, as has been stated 

 by Mr. W. A. Lewis, in his paper on Synonymic Lists. Lond. 1872.* 



To complicate the case still further, there is a disagreement as to the 

 date at which names shall be held to have first begun. Specific names 

 did not originate with Linnaeus, but that naturalist was the author of the 

 binomial system of Nomenclature, and enunciated it in 175 1. This was 

 after his earlier works had been published, and even he did not fully apply 

 the system till several years later. He re-described the known species 

 of insects, using sometimes the names of his predecessors, but often re- 

 naming, and very frequently changed a name given by himself in his 

 earlier editions. 



The question of a starting point, therefore, has very much exercised 

 authors exploring for ancient names. And it is a very important one, 

 and one above all others on which agreement would seem to be necessary, 

 for many insects in 1767 bore different names from those given to them in 

 1758, and the latter from those of prior date. 



Rule 2nd of the Code says: — "Specific names published before 1766, 

 cannot be used 'to the prejudice of names published since that date;" and 

 in the explanatory remarks, it is said : — " We. ought not to attempt to carry 

 back the principle of priority beyond the date of the 12th edition of the 

 Systema Naturae, 1766." (Vol. I., issued 1766; vol. II., in which are 

 the insects, 1767.) 



Mr. Kirby, in his Catalogue of Lepidoptera lately published (1870), 

 follows the Rule, and would ignore all names prior to 1767. Dr. 

 Staudinger, in his Catalogue of European Lepidoptera, also published 



*Note. — See also a very able pamphlet by Mr. Lewis, entitled "A Discussion of 

 the Laws of Priority in Entomological Nomenclature," Lond. 1872, which. I advise 

 all persons who care to make themselves better acquainted with the subject, to 

 obtain. It may be had through the Naturalists' Agency, Salem, 



