ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 



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Philadelphia, Pa., April, 1905. 



We are frequently in receipt of letters from collectors and 

 beginners lamenting the constant changes in the names of in- 

 sects, principally generic, and we desire to say a few words to 

 them that may be of interest. They appear to be laboring 

 under the impression that they are obligated to turn their col- 

 lections inside out every time a new list appears but every such 

 idea is entirely erroneous. The species is the unit of classifi- 

 cation and if one knows the specific name the rest is attaina- 

 ble. Why should the beginner worry his brains about the 

 never-ending wrangle about nomenclature ? 



It is bad enough for the systematist to run the risk of getting 

 megalocephalitis over it. Don't change your collection unless 

 it is overcrowded and needs rearranging or you have some good 

 reason for so doing, and even then don't change the names 

 unless it is your desire to do so. If a new list comes out and 

 you don't wish to follow it, wait for the next one which may 

 be more in conformity with your own ideas. In a formative 

 study like entomology changes in nomenclature are inevitable, 

 but that is no reason for people being on pins and needles and 

 making changes every five minutes. It will be not less than a 

 thousand years before the question of nomenclature will be 

 finally settled, as it will take that long to describe all the 

 species of insects in the world ; therefore why worry about it ? 



