CHAPTER XXI 



THE PINE-CHAFER 



The orthodox denomination of this insect is Melolontha 

 fullo, Lin. It does not answer, I am very well aware, 

 to be difficult in matters of nomenclature ; make a 

 noise of some sort, affix a Latin termination, and you 

 will have, as far as euphony goes, the equivalent of 

 many of the tickets pasted in the entomologist's 

 specimen boxes. The cacophony would be excusable 

 if the barbarous term signified nothing but the creature 

 signified ; but as a rule this name possesses, hidden 

 in its Greek or other roots, a certain meaning in 

 which the novice hopes to find instruction. 



The hope is a delusion. The learned term refers to 

 subtleties difficult to comprehend, and of very indif- 

 ferent importance. Too often it leads the student 

 astray, giving him glimpses that have nothing what- 

 ever in common with the truth as we know it from 

 observation. Very often the errors implied by such 

 names are flagrant ; sometimes the allusions are ridi- 

 culous, grotesque, or merely imbecile. So long as 

 they have a decent sound, how infinitely preferable 

 are locutions in which etymology finds nothing to 

 dissect ! Of such would be the word fullo, were it 



Hf 



