THE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS AT BRUSSELS. 229 



It was pleasant to notice that Great Britain was so well repre- 

 sented, having the largest number of members. On the evening of 

 July 31st a reception was given to members of the Congress by the 

 Entomological Society of Brussels ; this was very well attended, and 

 it was a great pleasure to make the personal acquaintance of so many 

 entomologists from all parts of the world whom one had only known 

 by correspondence heretofore. 



The papers read at the meetings were of great importance, being of 

 a high standard and of much interest. In this direction also our 

 countrymen took their full share. It is impossible to cite all the 

 papers read in this notice, but mention may be made of a few of them. 



Mr. R. Blanchard, a first-class speaker, at the conference on Medical 

 Entomology, gave an excellent account of Sleeping Sickness, Malarial 

 fever, etc. Rev. Pere E. Wasmann, the great authority on the subject, 

 gave a very interesting paper (with lantern) on " Ants and some of 

 their Guests." Mr. W. Schaus read a paper entitled " A quoi sert le 

 Mimetisme? " taking as the basis of his argument the following resiaiie — 



"Les lois de la nature et de revolution. Observations faites pendant de 

 longues annees dans les foret de la region neo-tropicale. Les oiseaux n'attaquent 

 que rarement les papillous diurnes, qui n'ont pas besoin de se parer de couleurs 

 protectriees." 



The lecture, by a master, who has spent a vast time in the tropical 

 forests of America, was bound to attract attention. It seemed to us 

 that, in the discussion which followed, the supporters of "Mimicry" had 

 far the better of the argument, both Prof. E. B. Poulton and Mr. G. H. 

 Marshall discussing closely the "Mimicry" side. Mr. A. Handlirsch 

 gave a very fine lantern lecture on " fossil insects " illustrated by many 

 excellent slides. Papers were read by the following of our country- 

 men : — Messrs. R. S. Bagnall, G. H. Carpenter, F. A. Dixey, H. St. 

 J. Donisthorpe, R. S. MacDougall, F. Merrifield, Sir Daniel Morris, 

 Messrs. E. B. Poulton, R. C. Punnett, and F. Theobald. 



The resolutions relating to Nomenclature and passed by the 

 Congress, read as follows : — 



1. It is desirable that the international rules of zoological nomenclature be 

 followed equally by entomology as far as they are adapted to the requirements of 

 this science. 



2. It is desirable that descriptions be, as far as possible, accompanied by 

 figures. 



3. The names of authors ought to be written, as far as possible, in full. The 

 Committee on Entomological Nomenclature is instructed to draw up, for the next 

 Congress, a list of abbreviations of authors' names. 



4. Descriptions which are published only in dealers' catalogues and in news- 

 papers, are to be disregarded (without retro-active effect). 



5. The Committee on Entomological Nomenclature is instructed to prepare, 

 for the next Congress, a list of names of genera, species and varieties, whose 

 orthography it is desirable to correct. 



6. It is highly desirable that entomological publications bear the exact date 

 of their publication. The Permanent International Committee is instructed to 

 make known this resolution of the Congress to all the publishers and editors of 

 entomological publications. 



7. Entomology adopts the law of priority, without exception, for the names 

 of genera, species and varieties. The starting point of nomenclature is the tenth 

 edition of Sijstenia Naturae of Linn6 (1758). 



8. The nomenclature section of the first International Congress of Entom- 

 ology considers as being of the greatest importance that a new clause be added to 

 the international rules of zoological nomenclature providing that, at the time of 

 description of a new species or new variety, one example only should be labelled as 

 "type," the other examples examined by the author at the same time as "co-types." 



