78 ' THE REPORT OF THE No. 36 



the capitals were restricted to names derived from names of persons, and, finally, ttie 

 use of capitals in specific names was entirely rejected, except that names derived from 

 names of persons may be written with a capital. The use of the capital is a convenience 

 in distinguishing between a specific name, like Gobii, based upon the surname Gobi. 

 and a specific name, like goMi, based upon the generic name GoMus. There is now 

 a decided tendency to reject the use of capitals in specific names." 



Very respectfully, 



(Signed) C. W. Stiles, 

 Secretary, International Commission on 



Zoological Nomenclature. 



I think, therefore, in view of that we shall be justified in our decision not 

 to use capital letters in the case of specific names, but adopt the method which is 

 most generally employed and use the small letter. 



There are a number of other points, too, but I would rather the members of 

 the Society would ask them in the form of questions. 



Mr. Caesar: I suppose every specimen will be supposed to have the date and 

 locality as far as possible ? 



Dr. Hewitt: We shall not record any species of insect in any of the collec- 

 tions which does not possess a locality label. 



Mr. Caesar: How about dates? 



Dr. Hewitt : Dates are desirable. In the case of the commoner insects we 

 shall not include dates. In the various collections we shall find a large number of 

 insects which do not possess locality labels and I do not think it would be advis- 

 able to include these species in this list. 



Dr. Bethune: There is another point. I notice in some publications that 

 after the specific name and before the author's the comma is omitted. If the scien- 

 tific name is in italics the author's name is in Roman letters; of course you see at 

 once the difference. But where they are all in the same type it looks to me as if 

 it might be part of the specific name, so that I think there ought to be some 

 decision in regard to that. 



Dr. Hewitt : That is a point which I have also had under consideration and 

 I agree with you that there should be some distinction, but as I think the author's 

 name really forms part of the insect's name — although I should like to have the 

 opinion of the Committee — the omission of the comma and the printing the author's 

 name in Roman letters might be preferable. 



Dr. Walker; The scientific name is written, almost always, in italics, or 

 black-faced type, and I think it always should be, and in the catalogue certainly ir 

 would look very badly if the scientific names were not distinct. 



Dr. Walker: One point which I should like to know is whether we should 

 include in the references the original description as well as a reference to some 

 good description. I think it was agreed in the original plan not to include the 

 original description, but only a reference to some well known and easily access- 

 ible good description. It seems to me that it would be highly desirable to have 

 references to the original descriptions. 



Dr. Hewitt: I agree with that idea, but at the same time, in additioji to 

 giving a good general description of the insect and its life-history you should give 

 a good specific description. Accordingly we might have three references. There 

 would be the reference to the original description, the second to a good specific 

 description, if the original description were considered inadequate, and a third 

 description giving, if possible, the life-history and the habits of the insect. 



Mr. Winn: I have been practically through all the original Geometrid 

 descriptions, and the original descriptions are very short, rarely half a page ; tlie 



