1903 ] 165 



" I searched the old Departmental documents, with the object of learning what 

 had become of Billbcrg's second collection, said by Hagen to have come into the 

 British Museum through Children. Children was Assistant Librarian from 1816 — 

 1837, and Keeper of the Zoological Department from 1837—1840. He had a 

 private collection of Insects, and seems to have bought Billbcrg's specimens, or at 

 least part of them, for his private collection. I have found a (private) memorandum, 

 dated September, 1829, on which a number of Coleoptera are enumerated, stated to 

 be missing from Billberg's Museum. From this it is clear that he did not acquire 

 all Billberg's types. When Children resigned in 1840, his collection was sold by 

 auction, and a part of it purchased by the Museum. The specimens thus purchased 

 we can still distinguish by our register-marks. Most probably some of Billberg's 

 types are among them, but as Children stated on his labels only specific names, but 

 not the origin of the specimens, we can recognize Billberg's specimens by circum- 

 stantial evidence only, viz., when they bear a Billbergian species on an old Children- 

 ian label. All these remarks refer to Coleoptera only ; I have no evidence that 

 specimens of any other Order of Insects were transferred from Billberg's Museum 

 to the British Museum, or even to Children's private collection. 



I wonder how Hagen got at the history of Billberg's collection." [Dr. A. 

 Gunther, i. I., 12. VII. 1892.] 



Zetterstedt, Insecta Lapponica (1840), employed some of Bill- 

 berg's genonyms, and he appears to Lave been the only Lepidopterist 

 who adopted any of them before Scudder ; [Historic Sketch of the 

 Generic Names proposed for Butterflies : a contribution to Systematic 

 Nomenclature.— Pr. Am. Ac. Arts and Sc, Boston, X (2 s., II), 

 91-293. Salem (1S75)]. 



As it is through Scudder's work that these names have been 

 revived in the Rhojmlocera, it is necessary that we should endeavour 

 to ascertain on what grounds these genonyms were held to be valid 

 by Scudder. 



Staudinger and Rebel, Cat. Lp. Pal., I, 14, No. 14 (1901), 

 following Scudder, give 



" Leptidia, Billbg., 1820 (= Leucopliasia, Steph., 1827)," for 

 sinapis, L. 



Scudder, Pr. Am. Ac. Art. Sc, Boston, X (2 s., II), 204, No. G12 

 (1875), records— 



"Leptidia. 1820. Billb. Enum. Ins., 7G, sinapis. Sole species, 

 and therefore type. Never since used, but should certainly be re- 

 stored. See Leptoria" [Wstwd., 1841], " and Leucophasia" [Stph., 

 1827]. 



Scudder (I. c, 204— 5) : " Leptosia. 181G. Hiibn., Verz. 95: 

 sinapis (lathyri), Alcesta, Xiphia (chlorographa), Brephos. 1858. 

 Kirb., List Brit. Rhop. : employs it for sinapis (candida, erysimi). 

 1870. Butl, Cist. Ent. i. 39, 54 : specifies sinapis (lathyri) as type, 



