NERVURfiS. 23 1 



NERVURES. 



By J. W. TUTT, F.E.S. 



Neuration has now become a part of the work of all studious 

 lepidopterists. Even the " man in the street," entomologically, has 

 learned something about it. The influence which the study of neura- 

 tion has had on recent systems of classification of lepidoptera is most 

 marked. 



Every student who takes up the study of entomology, without any 

 previous biological training, mechanically follows his favourite author 

 in matters of terminology. He may have installed this particular 

 author in the first place for many reasons. Probably he has picked 

 up more "localities" from his book ; maybe, the figures in his book 

 are good for naming by (and hence, discourage study). In short, he 

 may be installed first favourite for any reason except the fact that he 

 is scientific. The student observes that various authors have called 

 the structures which make up the neuration — nervures, nerves and 

 veins. He makes his own choice, usually without consideration, of 

 these names, and is forthwith prepared to back his opinion. 



Those entomologists Avho happen also to be biologists in the wider 

 sense, have long drawn attention to the fact that the structures in an 

 insect's wing, sometimes called " nerves " or " veins," bear no analogy 

 to the structures known to anatomists by the same names. Hence 

 they have very properly objected to the use of names, which already 

 have well understood technical meanings, for structures bearing no 

 relation to those known under these names. 



Dr. Sharp states this position very clearly. He says : — " It has been 

 shown by Hagen that the two layers (of membrane) can be separated 

 when the wings are recently formed, and it is then seen that each 

 layer is traversed by lines of harder matter, the nervures. These 

 ribs are frequently called wing-veins, or nerves, but as they have 

 no relation to the anatomical structures bearing those names, it is 

 better to make use of the term nervures" (" Insecta," Gamhruhje 

 Natural Hhtonj, vol. vi., p. 107). Dr. Sharp's conclusion is the 

 only one to which anyone who has had a biological training can 

 possibly come, and appears, indeed, so self-evident, that the universal 

 use of " nervures " for the structures that traverse the wings of 

 insects, should, in future, be assured. The term defines the exact 

 thing described, and does not clash with already existing terms. 



Notes on Coleoptera. 



A DAY AMONG THE DeAL SAND-HILLS. — ThE BEETLES OF OLD 



COAST-LINES. 



By CLAUDE MORLEY, F.E.S. 



What coleopterist does not look back, with something approaching 



regret that the time is past, and can never be repeated with the same 



thrill of purely entomological pleasure, nay, excitement, to his first visit 



to the almost historical sand-hills between Deal and Sandwich, to that 



visit which undoubtedly marks a red-letter day, both in his mind and 



in his diary ? 



The remembrance I carry with me of my first approach to the 

 unconscious sand-hills, armed cap-d-jiir, with a somewhat superfluous 



