SYSTEM OF INSECTS. 399 



tend this letter to an enormous length. Indeed, to give 

 the natural primary and subordinate sections of every 

 Order, would require a knowledge of the subject to which 

 no Entomologist has yet attained. I shall therefore only 

 say something general upon them, and refer you to an 

 example of each kind of group. 



Previously to the groups themselves their nomenclature 

 claims our attention. M. Latreille in his last arrange- 

 ment of Annulose animals has divided his Orders into 

 Sections ; Families ; Tribes ; and Genera : his tribes he 

 has often further subdivided into lesser sections, repre- 

 sented by capital and small letters, &c a . Mr. MacLeay, 

 discarding the term section, has Tribes; Races (Stirps); 

 Families; Genera, and Subgenera b . But as in descending 

 from the Order to the lowest term, or the species, a series 

 of groups gradually diminishing in value, which require 

 a greater number of denominations than have yet been 

 employed by Entomologists, often occur, I think we may 

 with benefit to the science add to the list. I would 

 therefore propose the following primary and subordinate 

 divisions of an Order : 1 . Suborder ; 2. Section , 3. Sub- 

 section ; 4. Tribe ,- 5. Subtribe ; 6. Stirps ; 7. Family ; 

 8. Genus ; 9. Subgemts. I would further propose that 

 each of these successive groups should have a^name al- 

 ways terminating alike, so that the value of the group 

 when spoken of might always be known by the termina- 

 tion : thus if a subclass end in at a, a suborder might 

 end in ita / a section in ana, a subsection in ena , a tribe 

 in infy a subtribe in ona ; a stirps in una ; and a family 

 in idee ; the genera being left free. 



!l Families Naturelles du Rlgne Animal. 

 b Annulosa Javanica. 5. 



