LEPIDOPTEROLOGY. 239 



Lepidopterology ■ — No description of a Species valid without 



a Figure. 



By Dr. T. A. CHAPMAN, F.Z.S., F.E.S. 



This fui'thei' portion of the U;pulnpterolu(/ie comparef has recently 

 appeared. It contains nine pages on the " Relations of Lyc^enids and 

 Ants"; 170 pages, continuing the "Notes pour servir a etablir la 

 Faune francaise et algerienne des Lepidopteres," with the Chelonidea 

 {Arctiidae) ; certain supplenaents to previous " Notes," 16 pp. ; 76 pp. 

 "Documents concernant les Somabracln/s'' ; and a dozen on "Sub- 

 species et Morpha." Though there is perhaps less to speciall)- interest 

 the British Lepidopterist than in Part IV., all our British Arctias are 

 fully discussed, with various items mentioned that are not familiar 

 to insular collectors ; the range of variation of Kiiprepia crihraria 

 (cribntiii), for example, of which most forms are illustrated in the 

 beautiful pi. Ixxx. 



The plates, 27 in colour, drawn by Monsieur Culot, are up to his 

 usual superb merit, and must be seen to be appreciated. Two of them 

 are from drawings by Mr. H. Powell, of the early stages of Somabrachys, 

 and there are four photographic plates of Souiabrar/n/s imagines, 

 illustrating Mr. Powell's and M. Holl's most interesting account of 

 this curious genus, of which about eighteen species are dealt with, 

 largely the discoveries of Mr. Powell and M. Holl, only two being given 

 in Stait(liii(ier''s Catalotjiie (1901). The volume presents much matter 

 that we should like to transfer to these pages did space permit. It 

 seems, however, more immediately important to discuss the point that 

 M. Oberthiir has insisted on for many years, and which he proposes to 

 bring before the Entomological Congress at Oxford next year. He 

 expresses the position thus : " Sans bonne figure a I'appui d'une 

 description, pas de nom valable ; des lors la priorite du nom appartient 

 au premier Iconographe plutot qu'au premier Descripteur." This 

 proposal ought to be well considered before the Congress assembles. 

 M. Oberthiir says that for his part he has already decided to treat 

 descriptions without figures as of no account ; he rejects them as mere 

 lumber. Still he would not press the point absolutely, and so he 

 proposes figuring those species of Guenee that are so far only 

 descriptions. 



Apart from their often indeterminate character, the time required 

 to wade through a number of descriptions is in the present day 

 almost prohibitive. The really strong point for accepting M. Oberthiir's 

 proposition is that figures can now be made so much more cheaply 

 and accurately than not so many years ago. Still we are not all able 

 to secure the assistance of a M. Culot, and a bad figure may be worse 

 than none. It seems, therefore, that the minimum to be demanded is 

 really a good photograph, which is by no means costly, and except 

 colour, shows all that is really essential. 



It seems necessary, also, to fix a date after which this law shall be 

 absolute, such as, say, twelve months after the Proceedings of the 

 Congress are published. The more difficult and knotty point is 

 whether, and if so to what extent, the law shall be retrospective. It 

 seems reasonable that where no doubt has been raised as to names, 



* Etudes de LepidopUrologie coinparee par Charles Oberthiir, Fasc. v. (Ire 

 Partie), pp. xxxvi., and 340, pi. 41. 



