

BY E. MEYRICK, B.A. 411 



by him under seventy-eight different names, one species being 

 burdened with as many as eleven synonyms, and in no single 

 instance has a species been correctly referred to its proper genus. 

 I have recently examined the whole of his Australian types in 

 the British Museum collection, and have identified almost all as 

 species of which I possess specimens ; of four or five I do not 

 possess specimens, and in these cases I have not been able to 

 make a sufficiently thorough investigation to make the generic 

 identification absolutely certain, but I trust I have not made any 

 gross errors in that respect. With regard to the retaining of 

 Walker's names, it appears to me indisputable that it would have 

 been perfectly justifiable to reject all names followed by descrip- 

 tions which did not of themselves sufficiently indicate the species 

 referred to. If the description is not identifiable, it is no 

 description ; the existence of the type is not to the point. If an 

 author of the present day were to publish a list of names of new 

 species, and observe that he had omitted to add descriptions, as 

 the types were always on view in his collection, I presume his 

 names would not be adopted ; yet in regard to most species, what 

 Walker has done amounts to no more. Notwithstanding, in 

 deference to general usage, I have retained his names on the 

 strength of the types alone ; but at the same time I assert distinctly 

 that I do not consider myself bound to do so in any instance. 

 The rule which I have adopted (suggested to me by Prof. 

 Fernald) has been to retain all names followed by descriptions 

 which there appears sufficient reason to believe were really 

 intended to represent the specimen standing in the collection as 

 type of the species, however inadequately they may do so. If, 

 as is not unfrequently the case, the type has been lost, then I have 

 rejected the name entirely, unless the description clearly indicated 

 a particular species. When the form of the name errs grossly 

 against the elementary rules of the Latin language, I have 

 corrected it to a more seemly shape. Prof. Zeller urges me also 

 to change the pointless and nonsensical names which often occur 



