mbiicrY. 207 



precise, and sometimes in exceedingly exact imitations, and there are 

 thousands of cases in which the colour-tint of a bark, of a definite leaf, 

 of a definite blossom, is repeated exactly in the protectively coloured 

 insect. In such cases there can be no question of accident, but the 

 variations ]> resented to individual selection must themselves hare been 

 produced by the principle of the survival of the fit I And this is effected, 

 as I am inclined to believe, through such profound processes of 

 selection in the interior of the germ-plasm." 



Thus far Weismann has at present advanced the study of the 

 principles by means of which the mimicry of insects has been brought 

 about. In this manner he explains Bates' statement that " on the 

 wings. Nature writes as on a tablet the story of the modification of 

 species, so truly do changes of the organisation register themselves 

 thereon." Probably, in this country at least, no one knows less of the 

 general principles underlying the markings, coloration, and patterns of 

 insects' wings than many of those who style themselves entomologists. 

 Such will regret that so much has been written without adding a new 

 species to the British list. We have not, like Weismann, to ask " the 

 hotspurs of biology ' ' to restrain their ardour, and to remember that 

 " all our knowledge is, and remains throughout, provisional," we have, 

 on the other hand, to beg that our readers will bear with us in asking 

 them to fairly look at Weismann's position, and to assure them that 

 this is only the beginning of the end. We can promise them that, if 

 they have once interested themselves in the more intellectual branches 

 of entomology, they will have added a very great additional source to 

 the sum total of the pleasure that it is possible for them, as educated 

 men, to get out of existence. 



.SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 



Parasites on the pup^e of Apamea opmoGRAMMA. — I have identified 

 the parasite you sent me from pupre of A. ophiof/raiinna as I'hyyadeum 

 abdoiiiinalis. — T. R. Billups, F.E.S., 20, Coplestoue Road, Peckham, 

 S.E. 



Nomina nuda, — It is certain that in the literature of the Lepidop- 

 tera one matter will prevent uniformity in nomenclature, unless it is 

 settled in a reasonable way. It relates to the validity of what are 

 called " bare " generic names. Schrank's names, and some others now 

 in use, are " bare " names, in so far as they were originally published 

 without definition. The " Tentamen " names are in like case. Some 

 twenty years ago, in studying the subject, I came to the conclusion, 

 since adopted by me in my writings, that a " bare " name was strictly 

 speaking one which could not be identified or applied in any way ; as 

 a species name it is one without a description or a reference, and as a 

 generic title it must be in the same case. But a generic title, pro- 

 posed for certain species cited by name as described, cannot fall into 

 this category, because it gives a reference to facts already known to 

 science. I formulated the rule in this way. The sole test for the 

 applicability of the name rests with the possibility of its identification from 

 what is published about it. Thus a name published by a figure alone is 

 clearly valid. A generic name published with a known species included 

 under it is valid, and so are catalogue names for genera. We 

 know in every case what is meant, and this is sufficient. A little 



