314 THE entomologist's record. 



(nay, hundreds) of species, common and well-distributed in little- 

 worked regions, are first discovered and named in the better-worked 

 into which they straggle, and generally in modified forms. 



I had not fully realised that Mr. Wheeler wanted species-names 

 placed on quite the same footing as generic. To me there are difte- 

 rences ; like other scientists, we seem to need some iniit, even if 

 artificial, and, moreover, I have long held that generic names are a 

 delusion and a snare, and have pined for Amyot's MHhodc Munony- 

 miqiw, or something of the sort. But, in any case, the analogy which 

 Mr. Wheeler draws only aupporU the accepted practice ; when we group 

 species into a genus we give the assemblage the oldest name, not that 

 which covered most species, and this is just what we do when we 

 group forms into a species. I cannot see that nomenclature per se 

 ever enhances " scientific truth," though clearness of definition does ; 

 if A and B both call a certain species Lauocampa quercus it is a gain, 

 and they can argue to their heart's content as to whether the form 

 quercus or callunae be the more widely distributed, but if one persists 

 in writing of the ensemble as qiiercvs and the other in writing of it as 

 callunae, in order to support their theories, it is a distinct loss. And 

 as for orthography, in proper names this simply means faithfulness 

 to the first spelling ; if my birth register made me " Loui " or " Jon," 

 no one on earth would have the right to declare that the less eccentric 

 spelling was " orthography " for me. 



May I crave space for one paragraph more ? I appreciate the 

 editorial desire to curtail discussion on this arid subject, but Mr. 

 Wheeler expressly asked for an explanation ; and I would naively 

 suggest that my communication does not "exceed wore than one page 

 of print." The expression, "type of a name," was perhaps clumsy. 

 I am not much of a Greek scholar, and dare not " enter the lists " 

 with Mr. Wheeler ; but I fancy type really means " impress," or some- 

 thing of the kind, and, as I do not believe nature provides types, I go 

 to names for them ; and by " type of a name " I mean that phase of 

 the species upon which the name (with its associated definition) sets 

 its stamp. 



Types in Natural History. 



By T. A. CHAPMAN, M.D. 



Mr. Wheeler says he regards a " stable nomenclature as of only 

 trifling importance," this at once explains his whole position, and as 

 there is probably a very small minority of naturalists who will here 

 agree with him, the discussion seems hardly worth carrying further. 

 If Mr. Wheeler has any valuable scientific fact to tell us about any 

 insect, it is of supreme importance that he should tell us what insect 

 it is ; how can he do so unless he uses a name universally accepted, or 

 as we have still to do too often, uses some explanation to say in what 

 sense he uses the name be employs. If one speaks of Lycaena ari/us, 

 one has to show whether one is an ancient or a modern. But some 

 one will tell us something useful about L. an/Ks, who is yet ignorant as 

 to the necessity of telling us also on whose authority he applies the 

 name aryns. Strict priority is the only escape from these difficulties. 



One word more as to " type." An author names a species, it is of 

 great importance we should, with certainty, should it be necessary at 



