SOCtETtRS. 127 



ceeded to give an outline of the structures, life histories, and habits of 

 various mollusca, and closed l)y referring to the recently established 

 Malachalogical Society of London. Mr. Lewcock stated that the larva3 

 of Hj/drophiJns picem, fed on small water snails. He also jiroposed a 

 vote of thanks to Mr. Rosevear ; this was seconded by Dr. Buckell, and 

 carried. Mr. Riches stated that he had taken JBiston Mrtaria, on 

 March 3rd. Mr. Lewcock also recorded this species. Mr. Battley 

 remarked tliat the sallows wei'e already coming into bloom, some of 

 the sheltered buslies being fiilly out. 



Tuesday, 21st March, 1893. — Exhibits: — Mr. Clark, iV/y-ss/Vt hispidaria, 

 Fhiijalia pilosaria, etc., from Chingford. Mr. Mollis, Pliujalia pilosaria, 

 Hi/bernia lemophtearia and H. 2^'>'0ijeiiimaria,iYOin Highgate.two females of 

 tlie latter beingthe melanic form. Mr. Riches, a variable series of Hyhernia 

 IcHcopJuearia from Richmond. Mr. Huckett, suffused forms of Hyhernia 

 jrror/emmaria, bred from Epping Forest larv;e. Mr. R)attley, short series 

 of Procris statices, P. geryon and P. (jlohniarla'. Mr. Tremayne, Leucania 

 tnrca, Hyria auroraria and many others, from the New Forest. Mr. 

 Front, series of Gnopjhos ohscnrata taken on the greensand at Sandown 

 and chalk at Ventnor ; lie remarked that although tliese localities Avere 

 only a few miles apart, the sjiecimens responded to their environments, 

 the Handown forms l)eing decidedlj^ the darker. Dr. Sequeira, Cymato- 

 pliora ridens, bred from New Forest larva?. Coleoptera : — Mr. Heasler, 

 Kaploeaemns iiiipressns, Scaphidema amea, Jihinosfmns riridipenn/s, Scyd- 

 nuenns hortieoUis and Enth/'a scydnuenoides, all from Acton. Mr. Jarvis, 

 Plinthus caliginosns, Homalota plana, Prognatha quadricorne and Platy- 

 derus riijirollis, from Wandsworth and Darenth. 



Dr. Buckell then read the following paper : — 



SPECIFIC NOMENCLATURE : PRESENT, PAST and FUTURE. 



I HAVE been led to invite your attention to-night to the thorny 

 (piestion of nomenclature by a profound conviction that the existing 

 confusion and uncertainty which characterise our use of names at present 

 in this country are discreditable to us as scientific entomologists and 

 inconvenient to us as collectors. This state of things, altliough existing 

 before that time, has become much more pronounced since the appearance 

 of the Enfomoli)gist Synomymic List. Against the changes in accustomed 

 use made in that List protests both active and passive have been plenti- 

 ful, in which respect, however, it has only shared the same fate as its 

 predecessor. This society, in particular, dealt short slirift to the 

 intruder, resolving on August 21, 18S4, " That many of tlie alterations 

 are uncalled-for, and that a re-issue of the Dtmbleday List, with the 

 addition of tlie new species discovered since the date of its publication, 

 would have been far more acceptable to the great body of British en- 

 tomologists." I hope to-night to convince you that the question of nomen- 

 clature must be settled hy considerations of principle, and not merely of 

 convenience. The subject is a large one, and I shall be fortunate if I do 

 not .weary you tliough I restrict myself to that part of it relating to 

 specific, or, as I prefer to call it, trivial nomenclature. This restriction 

 must be borne in mind when I come to deal with authorities. These 

 may also be consulted in regard to arrangement, classification, and its 

 dejiendent generic nomenclature, but I am concerned with them solely 

 from the jwint of view of trivial nomenclature. 



If entomologists are to communicate with one another, it can only 



