troups of the Lepidoptera. 333 
is now sought to apply it. There is surely no justification 
for it here, and indeed the more it is examined, the more 
uncalled for it seems to be. 
First, the name would appear to suggest a fictitious 
antithesis, or contrast with the Diwrnt immediately pre- 
ceding. ’ 
Secondly, this name could not be accepted unless the 
group comprised all night-flying species, and the Lepi- 
doptera has again to be “classed according to their time 
of flight. 
Thirdly, the pretended group comprises very few of 
the true night-flying species at all; and does include a 
large number of species which fly only in the sunshine, 
e. g., Macroglossa, Sesia, Procris, Zygena. 
Fourthly, the pretended group includes the Sphinges, 
which, if they are to be classed according to their time 
of fight at all, must be called by the earlier name Cre- 
puscularia. 
Next, Drepanule. Since when has it become allow- 
able to supplant the received name of a family by a new 
one? It is notorious that this cannot be done in the 
case of a species or genus. ‘The so-called ‘ Drepanula”’ 
(termed Drepanulide, without authority given, by Dr. 
Knages) are, species for species, the Platypterices of 
Hubner, the Platyptericide of Stephens’ Illustrations, the 
Platypterygide of Stainton’s Manual; the name, without 
any alteration, of the constituent parts of the family, is 
sought to be altered to Drepanule, on the erection of 
the family into a petty group. Without wishing to 
impute a shabby motive, I protest I can find no reason 
for this alteration, except that before hinted at, viz., the 
passion for a new coinage and new nomenclature for 
everything, which has in every age, been the weakness 
of innovators. 
Now, Pseudo-Bombyces. This name is very flagrant. 
First, because it is an old name used by more than one 
author to express different assortments of species, neither 
of them the same as that to which it is now applied ; 
secondly, because the genera forming this supposed 
group have a prior name completely recognised ; thirdly, 
because of the illogical relation of the name to the other 
names in the same scheme of classification. 
TRANS. ENT. soc. 1871.—PaRT IM. (AvGUST.) AA 
