transfers of names of genera. 183 



proceedings. This tcask is so long and rough that it is 

 far from being yet finished, but it moves surely, if 

 slowly, in France as ^vell as in Germany, in spite of the 

 antiquated protests of certain entomologists who are 

 frightened by the momentary chaos into which we are 

 plunging, and who do not see that we must undergo this 

 in order to arrive at stability, that it is indeed the only 

 means of reaching this, while, on the other hand, 

 adherence to what they call prescri})tion or convention 

 leads to the consequence that everyone can do what he 

 likes if he should happen to be supported by a school or 

 scholars who will support him in his absurdities. This 

 is what happened in the case of Fabricius, and it is the 

 cause of all the present mischief. 



"Let us, then, be reactionaries.* Away with con- 

 vention : away with conventional applications of names 

 turned aside from their primitive sense. And do not let 

 us restrict ourselves to the revision of a few specific 

 names : let us frankly take up the huge question of 

 genera, which has been but little attempted hitherto. 

 Eeitter has carried it out happily and justly in the last 

 fascicule of his ' Bestimmung's-Tabelle.' He has restored 

 to the true Silphce of Linnaeus — Necrophorus of Fabricius 

 — their name, and has returned also to the Silphce of 

 modern authors the name of Peltis that Geoffrey gave 

 to them ; and has also distributed in a proper manner 

 the two names Liodes and Anisotoma, which have been 

 interchanged by all authors. This example encourages 

 me to do that which I have long contemplated, and just 

 as I had already recognised the necessity of the changes 

 he has carried out ; so I trust those which follow will be 

 equally well received, since they are prompted by the 

 same idea, and are executed by the same law. 



" Moreover, though as I have just said, only a few 

 years have elapsed since recognition of the law of 

 Priority became general, it is none the less true 

 (rendering to each the justice that is due to him) that, 

 there have always been generous and upright spirits 

 who have diligently proclaimed this primordial principle, 

 and have demanded its practical application. They 

 preached, it is true, in the wilderness, but remained true 



"-■= " Reagissons done." It would perhaps render his feeling more 

 correctly to say, "Let us then continue to agitate." 



