THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 371 



nomenclature. Not having seen the original, I am obliged to follow 

 Hendel's data in the discussion which follows. 



The title of the paper is "Nouvelle classification des Mouches a deux 

 Ailes (Diptera L.) d'apres un plan tout nouveau," and the date is "Paris 

 an VIII," that is, the eighth year of the French Revolution, or 1800. 



The work contains no mention of specific names at all in connection 

 with the generic descriptions. The latter are brief, and in most cases in 

 rather general terms, such as the number of joints in the antennae, 

 presence or absence of ocelli and tibial spurs, whether the wings are 

 folded or divaricate in repose, etc. It is not to be denied, however, that 

 occasional decisive characters are found, but not in many genera. 



Hendel had great difficulty, as he admits, in determining the meaning 

 or application of these generic names, until he received from Bezzi the 

 happy suggestion that the 1803 paper contains most of the same matter 

 translated into German, hence a comparison of the two would reveal the 

 identity of the earlier ones. Following this out Hendel was enabled to 

 trace the connection, and thus he learned that Meigen had changed nearly 

 all of his generic names in 1803 from those he proposed in 1800. For 

 instance, Flabellifera became Ctenophora ; Petaurista became Trichocera; 

 Zelmira, Platyura ; Fungivora, Mycetophila ; Lycoria, Sciara ; Helea, 

 Ceratopogon ; Tendipes, Chironomus ; Eulalia, Odontomyia ; Noeza, 

 Hybos ; Clythia, Platypeza, and many others. 



A glance at the names mentioned will indicate that Meigen had in 

 the interim adopted a new principle in the formation of generic names, 

 changing from Latin or Latin-sounding words to those derived somewhat 

 rigorously from Greek roots. It is possible that he was troubled with 

 doubts as to whether any generic term would "stand" if not derived from 

 Greek ; at any rate, the nature of the changes indicates what was his 

 purpose. 



Now, a few words as to the effect upon nomenclature of this newly- 

 opened chapter of entomological history. Mr. Hendel asserts that the 

 older names, as ascertained by the method of comparing the German 

 translation of the 1800 paper with the 1803 paper, must replace the latter 

 in toto, taking as types those assigned in 1803. He says, "As the reader 

 of the following pages will observe, the acceptance of the old names of 

 Meigen will create a complete revolution in dipterological nomenclature ; 

 this is, indeed, to be regretted, but is unfortunately unavoidable. Fiat 

 justitia, pereat mufidus !" 



