m TENANTS OF AN OLD FARM. 



inti-odiK'ing so apt a candidate as yourself. The fact is, 

 objects in natural liistor}' are named precisely on the 

 same principle that prevails in the bcstowment of in- 

 dividual names among men. An animal or plant has 

 a (jcmric name that corresponds with the gens, sir, or 

 family cognomen of a man, and a specific name that 

 corresponds with his baptismal, Christian, or individual 

 name. There is this difterence, that the order of the 

 names is reversed, the gens name of an animal being 

 placed first instead of last. However, there are some 

 nations, as the Hungarians and, I believe, also the 

 Chinese, who follow the very order that naturalists 

 have established ; and in our directories, ledgers and 

 other lists of names we Americans do the same. Thus 

 you might see your own gens or family name, 13r<u{ford, 

 preceding your individual name Ahby, and so on 

 through all your clan. If you were to w'rite such a 

 list and a list of insects in opposite columns you would 

 at once see the analogy, thus : 



'■ BuADFOKD, Abby, Argio2ie riparia, 



Bkadfoku, Geokge, Argiopcfasciata, 



Bkadford, Maut, £o>nbijx rnori, 



BuADKOKD, John, Telca jwlyphenms. 



" That is a simple enough arrangement, and natur- 

 alists invariably adhere to the rule to give only the 

 two necessary names to one animal. Certainl}', some 

 of their titles are sufficienth' formidable (chiefly be- 

 cause they arc new to us), but you will now never see 

 any multiplication of scientific names upon one poor 

 little creature such as many human babies are com- 



