128 THE entomologist's hecokd. 



be upon the basis of a nomenclature common to all. The earliest 

 nomenclature was a vernacular one. This country, Germany, France, 

 and probabl}^ other countries, possessed such a nomenclatui'e long before 

 a scientific one came into being. Our own vernacular nomenclature is 

 a very good one, but the necessity of intercommunication between 

 workers speaking different languages recpiires the adoption of a 

 common language for the })urposes of scientific nomenclature, and by 

 common consent and long-established usage Latin has been recognised 

 as best fitted for the pur^jose. 



In endeavouring to solve the prol)lem of nomenclature, it is im})era- 

 tive to bear in mind that the fauna of these sea-girt islands is a i)art, 

 and only a part, of the fauna of the world ; that the insects we meet 

 with are not confined to this country, and that, if we would take our 

 proper place in the commonwealth of entomological science, we must 

 fall into line Avith our brethren in other countiics avIio liavc a much 

 more extensive fauna to deal with, and must adopt tlie same names 

 as are used by them. The chief difficult}^ arises from the multijjlicity 

 of names wliich some species have receiveil. Tliis is due to several 

 causes. In some cases the same insect has been described or figixred 

 about the same time by two or more authors ignorant of each other's 

 work, and has received a different luxnie from each : in others, a 

 pronounced local form has been supposed to be a distinct species, and 

 has been named accordingly ; sometimes even the two sexes have 

 received distinct names. Again, an insect has been su])posed to l)e 

 identical with one described or figured, and named hx an earlier author, 

 and has l)een recorded under that name ; later investigations, however, 

 })roving that the identification was inaccurate, we have tAvo distinct 

 species beai'ing the same name. We need, therefore, some })rinciple 

 to guide us in selecting the name we shall use. Tlie IJritisli 

 Association, recogniising the importance of formidating some principles 

 upon which nomenclature, Avliich had in all branches of Zoology 

 got into a condition of hopeless cliaos, might be established on 

 a uniform and permanent basis, ai)p(.)inted a committee to consider the 

 subject. The report of this committee, which was submitted to the 

 Association in 1812, contained a series of rules of so sinn)le and satis- 

 factory a kind that they received the approval of zoologists genei-ally, 

 both in this country and on the Continent, although it Avas nearly 

 20 years later before any serious attempt Avas made to ajijily tliem to 

 entomological nomenclature and that Avas made, not by an Englislmian, 

 but by the German, Staudinger. Tin- most im]iortant of these rules Avas 

 tliat establishing Avliat has since lieen knoAvn as tlie " laAV of ])riority," 

 r /'::., that the name first giAen by the descriljcr of a species sb<)uld lie 

 permanently retained to the exclusion of all sul)se(pient synonyms. 

 This rule Avas (|ualified b}' a su))sequent one, that for a name to estalilisli 

 its priority it must b}^ its sponsor ha\'e been associated Avith the insect 

 in a piiblished Avork by sucli an adequate description or figure as Avould 

 enable the subsequent identification of the insect by any competent 

 person. In the main this " laAv of priority '" has up to the present l)een 

 accepted as the best means of attaining a })ermanent nomenclature. 

 Opinions differ as to some of the details of its jiractical apjjlication and 

 as to the results, Init time forbids my entering into these. 



In order to determine Avhat is tlie earliest name Avliicli any given 

 insect has receiA^ed, it is necessary to examine all the [lulilished Avorks 



