362 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



into a perfect tube. On opening one of these I found it 

 inhabited by a larva ; further examination of the tubes 

 showed that some contained three larvae each. Their general 

 colour is a bright straw, with two brown stripes down the 

 back ; body cylindrical, slightly hairy. I have collected 

 about two dozen, and shall be happy to forward you any 

 further account of them. I have enclosed some of the tubes 

 for your inspection. The larvae are night-eaters, hiding in 

 the tubes during the day. — C. J. Watkins ; King's Mills, 

 Painswick, Gloucestershire^ October 7, 1867. 



[I can offer no opinion worth having without seeing the 

 larvae ; they may possibly be those of Noctua xanthographa, 

 or perhaps those of a Leucania. — E. Newman.'\ 



The Genera of Hiihners ' Verzeichniss.'' — I see, from a 

 note in the October 'Entomologist' (Entom. iii. 352), that 

 Mr. Doubleday regards Hiibner's genera as worthless ; first, 

 because they are vaguely characterized ; and secondly, be- 

 cause the species which Hiibner associated together now 

 prove not to be congeneric. If Mr. Doubleday had merely 

 said that the descriptions were worthless,! could have entirely 

 agreed with him, but I could go no further; for, since badly 

 characterized genera and ill-assorted species are daily to be 

 met with, my opinion is, and always has been, that it is best 

 to consider the type-species as the representative of each 

 genus (of course there is no harm in amplifying the descrip- 

 tion of its structural details as much as we please), and, 

 should it prove to be congeneric with the type of any group 

 previously characterized, reject it ; but if we are bound to 

 sink a genus because all the species included therein are not 

 nearly allied, or because its characters do not seem sufficiently 

 clearly defined, there will still remain much to be done ere all 

 will be settled to our fancy and that of all brother Entomolo- 

 gists. Secondly, why should there be so much difficulty 

 about receiving some of Hiibner's genera, whilst others are 

 adopted without a murmur ? and how is it that the genera of 

 more recent Entomologists are sometimes permitted to stand, 

 even without any description whatever, and simply because 

 the typical species is known and its generic distinctiveness 

 at once apparent ? Thirdly, is not a generic name altogether 

 a convenience, and simply intended to associate closely-allied 

 species ; if so, why not be satisfied vvitli the first name given, 



