—163— 
in one family, a ‘‘splitter” in another: he will unite forms considered 
as distinct, or will separate forms generally regarded as identical : nature 
does not work in grooves, and it is unsafe to speculate in one group 
from what is known of another, nor because sculpture in genus A 
furnishes safe characters to treat genus B as though it must necessarily 
furnish the same here. 
Capt. Casey advocates more accurate measurements, or statements 
of the proportion of parts, and suggests a micrometer scheme for that 
purpose which is very much inferior to some already in use. An adapta- 
tion of the ordinary eye piece micrometer will answer every purpose, and 
just exactly the instrument for the purpose is in constant use by Dr. 
Marx to obtain accurate proportions in drawing. But with the instru- 
ment perfect, ] am not at all so sure that accurate measurement will 
help us much. I feel very certain from my own observation that there 
is a considerable range of variation in the proportion of parts, and the 
use of instruments for minute measurement would have the inevitable 
tendency to a creation of species on characters not sufficiently stable, 
until experience showed where it could be safely used. Yet nevertheless 
Capt. Casey’s suggestions are good and timely, but it simply needs great 
caution in using them. Despite the fact that entomologists have been 
very conservative—-perhaps too nuch so—in adopting more perfect 
modern means of investigation, our science has not been at a standstill, 
and we are annually making equal strides with other departments of 
Zoology in the increase of knowledge. 
‘This is not perhaps all entirely apropos of the work on Zrogophieus, 
which seems very good—but it is called forth by that portion of the 
paper which is equally impertinent to the subject matter of the title. 
Capt. Casey is a reformer, and like most other reformers apt to overdo 
matters a little. Bat on the other hand he will undoubtedly find fol- 
lowers, and even the most conservative will take leaf after leaf of his 
book until all the good ones are gone—then Capt. Casey will be made 
responsible for the useless balance, while small credit indeed will be 
given for the good results caused. Iam very much in sympathy with 
Capt. Casey in his general ideas and methods—but do not always agree 
with him in his deductions. Fase bs. 
+} > }_____—_——_- 
AND now comes into court, Mr. Robert H. Lamborn with a pro- 
position to destroy the mosquito, root and branch, by setting the dragon 
flies on them;—a very good scheme—only impractical unless a species of 
dragon fly can be produced which will prefer woods and city streets to 
the open ditches and grassy margins of swamps. We shall have more 
to say on this subject before long. 
