122 COLLECTION AND PRESERVATION OF INSECTS. 



subsequently found it a matter of convenience to omit the 

 lines altogether ; he thinks the drawers are neater without 

 them, and moreover, on occasionally re-arranging a collec- 

 tion, and, as it increases, this is absolutely necessary, the 

 lines of a former ruling require to be obliterated and others 

 introduced, a task which occasions great trouble and loss 

 of time. 



Mr. Stephens has, with great labour and assiduity, com- 

 piled 'A Systematic Catalogue of British Insects,' including 

 all the species which have been ascertained to be natives 

 of this country ; this catalogue is almost universally em- 

 ployed for the arrangement of British insects, and will be 

 found very useful to the young entomologist, who must how- 

 ever be cautioned against using or noticing names which 

 have no reference to a description attached to them, as such 

 names will never be adopted by scientific men ; those names 

 only have a claim on our notice, under which insects or 

 other animals have been actually described and published: 

 and it is very doubtful whether any names be really admis- 

 sible until descriptions of the individuals to which they 

 refer have been published in Latin, which is considered 

 peculiarly the language of science. Mr. Stephens has 

 published a synopsis of his Catalogue in a smaller form, 

 and printed on one side only, so that the names may be cut 

 out and used for labelling cabinets. This plan saves much 

 trouble, and gives a neat and finished appearance to a ca- 

 binet ; each name is a distinct label, and should be pinned 

 in the drawer, the generic name, printed in capital letters, 

 being placed at the head of the genus, and the specific 

 names in small letters below the species. Attached to the 

 name is the initial or part of the name of the author who 

 gave it ; thus SPHINX, L., or SPHINX, Lin., signifies 

 that Linneus gave the name of Sphinx. 



Lepidoptera should be placed with extended wings, fol- 



