( xlv ) 



possible for a species of Orthoneura ; a moment's examination 

 of the specimen showed it to be Paragus tihialis, one of the 

 very commonest European Syiyhidee ; surely such a paper 

 should be ruled as valueless and excluded from all rights to 

 priority ; in fact, let it be as has been the case with a most 

 elaborate paper on Diptera, published by Lioy in 1864, in 

 which innumerable new genera were proposed on most inade- 

 quate grounds, and on which Baron C. R. Osten-Sacken once 

 rallied Rondani as to his neglect to notice his fellow-country- 

 man's work, which produced from Rondani the retort, " C'est 

 de la Poesie." I heartily agree in referring Lioy's work to 

 something outside science ; and the scientific world must soon 

 refuse to accept crude and ill-digested material as part of its 

 natural sustenance. There must be some method evolved of 

 punishing ignorance or carelessness, or else ignorance and 

 carelessness will by their very volume overwhelm knowledge 

 and study. 



There is another saying in connection with scientific work 

 which is too good to be lost, and I have always wished that it 

 were better known. It might sei've as a motto to those Ento- 

 mologists who are in such a hurry to describe new species from 

 insufficient material and without adequate knowledge. The 

 tale occurs in Robineau Desvoidy's ' Essai sur les Myodaires,' 

 page 686, in the description of Limnia marginata, and is as 

 follows : — "Cette espece et le L. limbata sont les vrais Muscee 

 marginata et limbata, ainsi nommes par M. Bosc, et ainsi 

 etiquetes par lui dans sa collection, oii Fabricius en prit la 

 description. .Te rapporte ce fait, parce que, dans une autre 

 collection de Paris, j'ai vu le Musca marginata etiquete du 

 nom de Musca limbata. L'etiquette etait de le main meme 

 de Fabricius. Fabricius venait chaque annee compter avec la 

 natiire dans les differentes collections de notre capitale : sa 

 mcthode de description, qu'il ne modifia jamais, I'empecha 

 bientot de comprendre dacs les cercles trop reserres qu'il s'etait 

 traces toutes les especes qui passaient sous ses yeux. Un jour 

 M. Bosc surprit sou embarras sur une boite de mouches qu'il 

 etait prie de lui nommer : apres plusieur tentatives, Fabricius 

 quitte la plume, referme la boite, et la remet a ]\I. Bosc en 

 riant et en disant ces paroles remarquables : Est aliguid 



