April, '03] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. ICX) 



Hymenoptera, followed by the other members of that group ; 

 but what order would next appear as the trays were pulled out 

 was largely a matter of chance and the influence which various 

 manuals of entomology had upon the owner. 



The influence of evolution upon science has perhaps nowhere 

 been more marked than in entomology, as may be seen by com- 

 paring an early edition of Packard's " Guide" with Comstock's 

 " Manual." And in the presentation of the subject to students 

 it is now practically universal to pass from the simple to the 

 complex from the generalized to the more highly specialized 

 groups. 



The result of this influence has also been felt in the arrange- 

 ment of collections of insects where the first boxes or trays 

 now almost always contain the Aptcrygota, followed by such 

 groups as the Ep/un/crida, etc., while we turn to the last of 

 the series to find the Hymenoptera. 



When we examine the arrangement of insects within the 

 different groups, however, we find that the change is but 

 superficial, for in nine collections out of every ten the Lepi- 

 doptera begin with the butterfles instead of the Microptery- 

 goidea (Jugatse) or lower Frenatse, and the series of Hymen- 

 optera is introduced by the bees instead of being closed by 

 them. 



The cause for this is not far to seek. Evolution has reached 

 the orders, but has not as yet led the makers of the check-lists 

 to revise their sequence of names, and as we all use check-lists 

 by which to arrange insects, the result is merely confusion 

 confounded. 



That this will remain the case till check-list makers gather 

 courage sufficient to begin their lists with the most generalized 

 (primitive) insects of a group and work towards the most 

 specialized forms is evident, but that such arrangements are 

 still permitted by custom to override our knowledge of the 

 develpment of insect life is much to be regretted. 



It must be recognized, of course, that evolution has not been 

 linear but divergent, and that the limitations of any printed 

 check-list render it difficult to indicate divergent lines, but 

 this may be overcome by following the method stated by Com- 



