LATIN NAMES. 61 



ation 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 Fritillary may be called " Athalia" and so on. 

 I think it will be allowed that these Latin names art 

 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, 01 

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

 GonepteryxRhamni, the entomological name of the Brim- 

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

 vf 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 

 /essel that bears it. 



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



