264 [Apnl, 



is converted (p. 44) into Systratiotus nigritus ! Not only Douglas and Scott, but 

 Herrich-S chaffer, Kirschbaum, Fieber, and Reuter, appear to entertain the idea that 

 nigrita is the feminine of an adjective nigritus : but the Nigritse were people living 

 near the Niger, "nigrita" is a noun substantive, "a nigger," just as "nauta" is a 

 sailor. Fallen's Phytocoris nigrita was quite correct, and on removing nigrita into 

 Capsus or Polgmerus or Poeciloscytus or Systratiotus, there is no more ground for 

 changing it to nigritus than there would be for changing nauta into nautus, or incola 

 into incolus. 



As a curiosity in nomenclature, reference may be made to Lopus mat, tlie Cimex 

 mat of Rossi (Cat. p. 48), which eclipses the Bagous frit of Herbst. " Frit " vocatur 

 illud summa in spica jam matura, quod est minus quam granum ; so at least says 

 M. Terentius VaiTo, De Re Rustica, i, 48, 3. I was a long time in finding an 

 explanation of Herbst'syVi^ ; can any one aid me to a meaning for Rossi's mat ? 



But to return to the Transactions. It is a matter for regret that several of the 

 habitual contributors are this year conspicuous by their absence ; nevertheless, the 

 volume fully maintains the credit and reputation of the Society. It is, however, 

 like some of its predecessors, open to the objections, first, that only a tithe of the 

 whole has reference to the Entomology of our own country, a field which is yet far 

 from being exhausted ; and secondly, that descriptions of insects occupy nearly all 

 the space. Thus the volume is more useful for reference than agreeable for reading ; 

 it is one for the study of the specialist, and contains too little that is attractive to 

 the general reader. It must be borne in mind that probably the majority of those 

 to whom the Society looks for support, are not, and never will be, entomologists 

 pur sang ; many of us are mere dilettanti, who take a warm and (let us hope) an 

 intelligent interest in the science and all that concerns it, who recognise the necessity 

 for, and the importance of, the descriptive branch, but who, nevertheless, would like 

 to see a larger number of papers on habits and economy, of essays on classification 

 or geographical distribution, or other subjects of less restricted interest. I think 

 this result might be attained without pandering to popularity, and without relaxing 

 too much from the severe standard which a scientific Society is bound to maintain. 

 These remarks are addressed to intending contributors ; for the Memoirs must be 

 written before they can be published ; and it is an indisputable fact that no single 

 paper on British Insects has been excluded by one on Exotic, and that the excess 

 (if it be one) of descriptive papers is due only to the dearth of papers on economic 

 or philosophic entomology which are offered to the Society. The members therefore 

 have tile remedy in their own hands, and it will be their own fault if the Transactions 

 for 1877 do not excel those for 1876 in the interest of their contents— surpass them 

 in scientific value, I do not think they will. — J. W. Dunning, Lincoln's Inn : 

 March, 1877. 



Entomological Society of London: 1th March, 1877.— J. W. Dvnnino, 

 Esq., M.A., F.L.S., Vice-President, in the Chair. 



Mr. J. M. "Wills, Montpclier Road, Peckham, sent for exhibition an example of 

 a Crustacean- apparently of the genus Cirolana—viith. a note stating that it was 

 parasitic at the root of a pectoral fin of a flying fish, taken on board the " City of 

 Canterbury," but the locality of the vessel at the time of the capture was not given. 



Mr. Douglas exhibited a Monochamiis sartor, which flew into a garden in the 

 Cam'den Road, N. London, on a hot day last Juiy, and was brought to him alive. 



