Groups of the Lepidoptera. 343 
To demonstrate that the practice followed furnishes 
no explanation is very easy. Hither of two very substan- 
tial reasons at the least, very widely different in kind, 
may be the ground of a change in name. The first is, 
that the new name is found to have been published 
earlier than the old. The second is, that the old one 
is found to refer to another species. Now, no indication 
at all is given, by the English lists, which of these two 
reasons has caused the change of name. It may well be 
a very nice question (in the latter case) to what species 
the old name does refer, and unless a reference, at the 
very least, is given, each reader must do all the author’s 
work again. The effect of the present fashion here is 
often to pass off, as the work of one of the old entomolo- 
gists, the wholly inaccurate deduction of the modern 
editor. 
In the case of a change of name, when the old name 
has been discovered to refer to a different insect, there 
may be circumstances of especial interest which make 
the author’s omission to give references or extracts parti- 
cularly unfortunate. Thus, where a name Tantalus is 
found, some fine day, supplanted in our lists by a 
new one (say) IJxion, the name Tantalus referring to 
another insect, it may well be that the true Tantalus has 
at some time or other occurred in England, that being, 
indeed, the most probable cause of the confusion. Here 
you have an interesting point raised directly, involving, 
perhaps, some curious question of geographical distribu- 
tion. Such a discovery is impeded by the practice of 
the English list-makers to withhold reasons and re- 
ferences. 
It is out of the question that all our entomologists 
should be equally well acquainted with the works of 
foreign authors, or should enjoy equal opportunities for 
deliberate study. If, indeed, they were so circum- 
stanced, it is not for the interest of science that each 
should pursue his investigations for himself; but the 
acknowledged fact is, that access to foreign works, or 
old English works, is the privilege of a very few. 
Therefore, the giving of mere references to works that 
cannot be consulted is not a sufficient help to the 
reader ; eatracts and a commentary are both necessary. 
Last year, a new “ Cabinet List” appeared “ printed 
on one side only,” with the name of Dr. Knaggs as 
