178 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Chrysops carbonarins, Walk. 



Taken at the Humber, Toronto, June 13th, 1863. 



Asiltfs ? Sp. 



Cape Cottage, Portland, August i6th, 1861. A large species, measur- 

 ing an inch and a quarter in length, and nearly an inch and a half in 

 expanse of wings. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



explanatory. 

 Dear Sir, — 



The following considerations have suggested themselves to me in 

 reference to Mr. Herman Strecker's recent personal attacks. For myself 

 I do not think that either Mr. Strecker's style or language can be defended 

 on any ground. As to the matter, this is furnished by certain synonyms 

 in my writings on North American moths. To those conversant with the 

 subject, it is not necessary to point out the fewness of such mistakes, but 

 it may have escaped notice that in nearly every instance I have been the 

 first to correct the mistake, and thus Mr. Strecker's abuse has come ex post 

 facto and proves itself wholly personal and unscientific. I take pleasure 

 in referring here to words used in my earliest paper (Proc. Acad. Nat. 

 Sci. Phil., 1862, p. 59). I think I have always lived up to my first state- 

 ment, and where I have made a synonym, both "willingly and gladly'' 

 acknowledged it. And although I am charged by Mr. Strecker with 

 allowing one mistake to remain " nineteen months " before correction, I 

 can assure him that I still corrected it the moment I became aware that 

 it existed. Certain of these mistakes have occurred in describing American 

 species under distinct names. Sometimes these species have turned out 

 to be the same with European forms, and a synonym has been the result. 

 I do not think this the great misfortune which Mr. Strecker pretends, the 

 less when we remember that in many instances the American specimens 

 may be distinguished, and I have suggested that we shall lose a knowledge 

 of these distinguishing points unless we use distinguishing names. 

 Certainly these are occasions for quiet scientific observation, not in any 

 case for unscientific vituperation. The difficulty of avoiding a giving of 

 too great weight to a remote locality is even instanced by Mr. Strecker, 

 who has re-described a $ Cressonia juglandis as a new species of 

 Smermthus from *' Texas." The pale specimen, merely wanting the 



