484 Mr. D. Sharp and Mr. F. Muir on the Comparative 
within the uterus during copulation it was necessary to 
take the beetles in copula, kill them in a strong killing- 
bottle and then dissect out the whole female organ with 
the internal sac of the male still in situ. 
We may here emphasise the great importance of extract- 
ing the structures without injury to the basal parts. It is 
necessary to give this caution because it too often happens 
that the dissections of these parts that exist in various 
collections have been made only with a view to examining 
the apical portions of the structures. Hence the basal 
parts are often found to have suffered serious injury. 
As there can be no doubt that the nature of the genitalia 
is destined to play a prominent part in the systematic 
study of Entomology, the terms to be used in it should 
be carefully considered. At present great confusion pre- 
vails. This is not a matter for surprise when the difficulties 
that exist are grasped. The male structures form parts 
and accessories of a genital conduit of which the female 
genitalia are the continuation and completion. Hence the 
male parts are really only comprehensible when studied in 
connection with the female parts; and this, moreover, when 
the two are functioning. The parts, in fact, have to be 
restored to the condition they are in during copula. 
The terms used in this memoir were of necessity selected 
soon after the commencement of our work, and we consider 
it advisable here to state how they appear to us at the 
conclusion of our undertaking. 
AEDEAGUS. This is a most convenient and useful term for 
the combination of sclerites in the two adjacent 
layers of the male tube. The term was, we believe, 
introduced by M. A. C. M. E. Foudras (Altisides, 
1859, p. 32). It is probably derived from the Greek 
ta aidoia, signifying the genitals. The use of the 
Greek word may be seen in the notorious passage of 
Procopius quoted by Gibbon in footnote 24 of chap. xl 
of “The Decline and Fall.” We doubt whether a 
better term could be found for this middle complex 
of male sclerites, and we expect that a word will have 
to be invented for the corresponding (if not homo- 
logous) female sclerites. 
MEDIAN LOBE. This term is not free from serious objec- 
tions, but it is far superior to that of “penis,” which 
applied to Insecta is totally fallacious. The part in 
