BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTES ON THE HEMIPTERA. 77 



the type of the Linnean genus Gimex. To this I replied, in the 

 same journal (March 17th, p. 464), that the type of the Linnean 

 Gimex could never be lectularius, as (1) Linnaeus stated no types; 



(2) lectularius does not agree with the diagnosis of Cimex ; and 



(3) another type for the latter genus was duly selected by 

 Fabricius later on. Blanford replied on the same and following 

 pages, stating that types of certain genera were fixed by Linne. 

 As the information was, in part, new to me and several of my 

 correspondents, I abstract it now. It would have been answered 

 long ago had I not had a very bad accident while horse-riding, 

 rendering me a cripple for over eight months (with the prospect 

 of several more), and necessitating operations under chloroform 

 (one more in a few days).* Under these circumstances all my 

 work has been greatly retarded, and I was unable to visit 

 the only house in which ' Nature ' was to be found {then) in 

 Honolulu. 



The " rules of Linnaeus " were, according to Blanford, printed 

 in his ' Philosophia Botanica,' a work not accessible to me now. 

 Of these, Nos. 242 and 246 are quoted by Blanford : — 



" 242. Nomen genericum Antiquum antiquo generi convenit. 



" 246. Si genus receptum, secundum jus natures et artis in plura 

 dirimi debet, turn nomen antea commune manebit vulgatissimse et 

 officinali plantce." 



There are several comments to be made on this : — 



(1) The 1758 edition of the ' Systema Naturae ' is universally 

 regarded as the foundation of entomological nomenclature, and 

 there is nothing there of such rules, nor is there any mention, 

 in the Introduction, of the ' Philosophia Botanica.' 



(2) Even admitting these rules for Vertebrata, it is well 

 known that many of the insects known to the ancients are 

 incorrectly identified at the present day. Linne himself fell, 

 apparently, into gross error ; for example, Chermes, Ichneumon 

 (not an insect), Empis, Tipula, Aphis, &c. ; and, personally, I 

 would be very sorry to attempt to affix the types of any Linnean 

 genera by those " rules." 



There are, I believe, only two generic names which can be 

 settled in this manner, viz. Apis (mellifera) and Cimex ; but 

 here another (and, as I believe, superior) factor comes into play 

 — lectularius cannot be the type, because it is antagonistic to the 

 generic diagnosis. 



It is curious that not one, so far as I can trace, of Linne's 

 entomological pupils paid any attention to this (impossible) rule 

 of " commonest species," and that the best known, i. e. Fabricius, 

 deliberately fixed on bidens as the type of Cimex. 



As to Clinocoris, 1829, which I restored in place of Klino- 

 philos, I am aware that the " substitution of one name for 



[* The present article was received on January 9th, 1905. — Ed.] 



