26 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



A. Strict Priority without exception. 



The majority of existing nomenclatorial systems seem to me 

 to fail in their object on account of their complexity. Although 

 most authors now profess to conform to the " rule of priority," 

 they admit so many exceptions, on one plea or another, that the 

 original idea is entirely lost sight of. The chief end of nomen- 

 clatorial systems is stability ; and though complete stability is 

 neither possible nor desirable, an approximate attainment should 

 be possible, but only — as I believe — by a rigid and scrupulous 

 adherence to the " rule of priority — without exception." 



So-called "Classical Emendations" have been entirely dis- 

 regarded ; while tautonyms, names geographically or descriptively 

 misleading or incorrect, and politically or theologically offensive, 

 have been strictly adhered to, the original orthography of the 

 author being in every case retained, unless, of course, pre- 

 occupied.* 



B. Formation of Genotypes. 

 I have considered that a species may be fixed as the type of a 

 genus by any of the following methods : — 



1. By being the only species described (or, in the case of a 

 species previously described, by a reference to the species and its 

 author) at the foundation of the genus. 



Ex. 1. Anotia, W. Kirby, 1819, type bonnetii, W. Kirby, 

 1819. 



Ex. 2. Phymata, Latreille, 1802, type crassipes (Fabr., 1775). 



2. By being indicated as the type by the author of the genus at 

 its foundation. 



Ex. Gerris, Fabricius, 1794, type lacustris (Linn.), Fabr. 

 1794. This method was instituted by Fabricius (as far as 

 1 Ehynchota are concerned) in 1794. 



These two principles appear to me indisputable. 



3. By the subsequent removal of one or more species to other 

 genera^ thus indirectly fixing the type. An exception is made of 

 course in the removal of species to genera with the definition of 

 which (as at that time accepted) they did not accord, or by their 

 removal back again into a compound genus. 



Ex 1. Neides was founded by Latreille in 1802 for two 

 species, viz. tipularius and clavipes. In 1803 Fabricius erected 

 a genus Berytus with type tipularius ; thus indirectly fixing 

 clavipes as the type of Neides. In the second volume of 

 Lethierry and Severin's General Catalogue, clavipes is placed in 

 Berytus and tipularius in Neides ! 



Ex. 2. Fabricius used Tettigonia (recta Tetigonia) for Cicada 



* Emendations to displace names already in existence — unless emended 

 for the express purpose of replacing a preoccupied name — are not here 

 considered as separate names, e.g. "Aj^hana," Burm. is not considered as a 

 name separate from Aplicena, Guer. 



