148 THE entomologist's record. 



state of change, and therefore your rigid application of rules — largely 

 right may be as to trivial appellations — is utterly illogical, unsound, 

 unnecessary and absurd when applied to names of genera about which 

 no one has yet any definite ideas. You cannot measure an indefinite 

 idea with a foot rule, nor can you keep a fluctuating quantity always 

 within the same precise limits, nor is there any logic in transferring 

 the same title successively to a dozen different indefinite ideas. There 

 can be no doubt that whilst a " trivial " name, representing as it does 

 more or less a definite thing, should be retained at all hazards, yet a 

 generic name, representing something necessarily indefinite and subject 

 to change, should be, nay must be, allowed to lapse, when its useless- 

 ness and misleading character are shown by the light of our recent dis- 

 coveries. Trivial names represent things, these we can leave to the 

 synonymist. Genera represents relationships, these must be left to the 

 biologist. Only the latter knows what names will best illustrate and 

 convey his meaning to a general public, who mixst clinch his argument 

 quickly and retain his " names " without difficulty. He doesn't want 

 any resurrecting to help him do this. All of which is of course very 

 rude to the synonymy man, but it is what the average Britisher feels. 



Another section of the British public says : Your synonymist says 

 it is no part of my duty to test the correctness of biological conclusions ; 

 it is only my work to find the names for the new groupings set up by 

 the biologist. If this be so, why don't you synonymy men find three 

 names for Dr. Chapman's three groups. Why don't you settle at 

 once that I'haretra is older than Arctoiin/sris, or rire reisa, and include 

 the Vimiuia species therein, thus : — 



PJiaretra, Hb. {(Oti'iciniut, euji/i<irhi((i', iiii'injcmtliidix, alhocoinsa, 

 ruDiicis, eujilirasiae). 



Then you can insist that Apatela is older than all the other 

 apellations in Ciis/iiilia, and include the Cuspidian species, thus : — 



Apatela, Hb. {aceris, jisi, triileiis, iiie//aeej>Jiala, strit/asa, aliii). 



Bisulcia, having no equivalent, must stand thus : — 



Bisuleia, Chpmn. (lii/n.stri). 



This latter section I personally disagree with, believing the princi- 

 ple the individuals comprising it advocate to be wrong ; but at least, 

 I understand their position. — J. W. Tutt. Xoreuiber 9th, 1895. 



Impudence of wasps. — I have no doubt numbers of entomologists 

 have noticed wasps attack insects on setting boards, especially those 

 taken at sugar, but has anyone had an experience like the following ? 

 After setting a number of Xantliia eitirii/a this autumn, I left the 

 setting board on my talile for a short time ; on returning I found a 

 wasp busy pulling at one of the bodies, in fact, in the short space of 

 four or five minutes, they had totally destroyed several specimens, 

 detaching the abdomens and carrying them away. I re-connnenced 

 setting other specimens, and on placing two or three more on the 

 table in readiness for pinning out, down came Mr. Wasp as bold as 

 Hector, and like a little terrier laid hold of one which he spoiled 

 before I could prevent him. Shortly after, a wasp took a A', cifrat/o 

 away while my attention was withdrawn for a minute or so. Had the 

 colour or the taste of A', ritrai/d (they were bred specimens) anything 

 to do with this (to me) imaccountable vorac'ousness ? I had at the 

 time several setting boards filled with other freshly-set species, both 

 bred and taken at sugar, standing in my setting room, but these were 



