28 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [March 



he calls it Leptura semivittata ; finally, Germar about 1834 has 

 another alias for the same specie?, Leptura Ahhreviata. These 

 names are all very good in their way, the creature may be known 

 by any one of them, — but why change the original? The name 

 given by the person who first described the species, certainly has 

 the preference, provided the insect can be identified by it, and should 

 be the only one retained. Nor does the trouble end here ; you 

 may look over the drawers of fifty cabinets of insects without find- 

 ing any two of them to agree, as to what is the correct name for a 

 particular species. 



It would be a great matter if something could be done towards 

 having an uniform nomenclature for Canadian insects. 



The list contains twenty-nine families, one hundred and fifty- 

 two genera and two-hundred and forty-eight species, collected 

 chitfly on the Island of Montreal ; all not collected here, are 

 marked in the margin. 



Classification.— Entomologists and systematists have in- 

 sisted on one or two peculiar characters, which they consider to 

 be of primary importance and value, as the basis of classification. 

 Swammerdam contended, that in the early, or preparatory 

 states of an insect was to be discovered the solution of its natural 

 position. His system was called the '> Metamorphotic." 

 Linnoeus considered that in the structure of the wings, lay 

 the basis of classification. His system was called the 

 " Alary." Fabricius accepted neither of these views ; and on 

 the structure of the organs of the mouth created his system. 

 His system was called the " Maxillary." Latreille, not 

 knowing which to prefer, formed a fourth, combining the 

 three, which he called the " Eclectic." The " Septenary 

 system " is one which is followed by some to a great extent. 

 According to this theory, " in every group of seven, whether 

 the group be large or small, one of the seven is central, and 

 the other six surround it and are each connected with it." 

 All entomologists at the present diy agree with these various 

 systems to a certain extent as invaluable guides to classifica- 

 tion. Leconte's classification comprises ten orders ; this appears 

 to be the most natural division. These orders are again divided 

 into tribes, stirps, families, genera, and species. 



The order Coleoptera (or beetles) contains, according to Latreille, 

 not less than 25,000 species ; the estimate was made about the 

 year 1800, and included beetles from all parts of the world, as then 



