NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. 45 



Surely some British Entomologist is capable of verifying 

 these statements, and bringing the question to a definite con- 

 clusion. 



Joseph Anderson, Jun. 



Chichester, January 8tb, 1885. 



ENTOMOLOGICAL NOTES, CAPTURES, &c. 



Scientific Nomenclature and Dr. Lang's European 

 Butterflies. — The recent criticisms on the 'Entomologist' 

 Synonymic List of British Lepidoptera, as well as the review 

 of Dr. Lang's beautifully illustrated work on the European 

 Rhopalocera (Entom. xvii. 284), induces me to ask information 

 on a few points of nomenclature, &c. I observe that in Mr. 

 South's List Ejnnephile hyperanthus has become E. hyperantlies ; 

 and Argynnis lathonia, A. latona. Now, for my own part, in 

 opposition to the criticism in a contemporary, I quite concur in 

 the propriety of altering a mis-spelt name, when it is clear that 

 the error was a sin of ignorance or carelessness on the part of 

 the godfather ; but there is, nevertheless, such a thing as being 

 philologically hypercritical, which I am inclined to think the 

 first change is. Now hyperantkus may not be correct as a Greek 

 derivation, for I presume this is what is meant by the suggested 

 emendation ; but perhaps the author merely Latinized Itte^ av&sog, 

 in which case the termination might stand. With the second 

 correction, however, I quite coincide, as being certain to be 

 eventually adopted, as there can be little doubt that the beautiful 

 goddess stood gossip to this shining insect, although I am puzzled 

 by Dr. Staudinger's " recte Latonia." In Dr. Lang's ' Khopalocera 

 Europse ' there are various departures from the recognised ortho- 

 graphy, and, as he has deviated very rarely from Dr. Staudinger's 

 nomenclature, it would be interesting to know the grounds of 

 these departures. On p. 103 a var. of Lyccena cegon is given as 

 '' argryrotoxus,'' Berg.; and on p. 105 is L. argus ab. " argyro- 

 ?iomo?i," Berg. Is not the adjectival prefix the same in both 

 names, seeing that both were given by the same author ? And 

 if apyvpo; be not, what is the adjective intended? The latter 

 name is spelt by most authorities, " argyrognomon." Is there 

 any indication whether yvcoi^ov, the index of a sundial, or voixoi. 



