LATIN NAMES. 61 



sation to use only the second, or specific name of the 

 insect's Latin title ; thus, in speaking of the common 

 Swallow- tailed Butterfly, they call it " Machaon " only, 

 which at once distinguishes the one they mean from the 

 other, or scarce Swallow-tailed Butterfly, which they 

 would speak of as " Podalirius." The Pearl-bordered 

 Likeness Eritillary may be called " Athalia" and so on. 

 I think it will be allowed that these Latin names are 

 not harder to learn, remember, or pronounce, than the 

 long-winded English titles ; and, when acquired, bring 

 their possessor the advantage of being able to converse 

 with precision on their subject with all naturalists, 

 whether British or Continental ; for these names of 

 science are current in all European languages. 



Another piece of advice is : don't waste time in trying 

 to puzzle out the meaning, the why or the wherefore of 

 butterflies' scientific names. .Now and then, certainly, 

 they have some allusion to the insect's appearance, or 

 to the plant on which it feeds ; thus, for instance, 

 GonepteryxRhamni, the entomological name of the Brim- 

 stone Butterfly, means the "Angle-winged (butterfly) 

 of the Buckthorn" and this is very appropriate and 

 descriptive ; but in general there is no more connexion 

 between the name and the character of a butterfly, than 

 there is between a ship's name the "Furious," the 

 " Coquette" or the " Pretty Jane" as it may be and 

 the moral disposition or personal appearance of the 

 vessel that bears it. 



Also, don't waste money and encourage dishonesty, by 



