274 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



with insects of this genus, and at present, therefore, the case 

 against Simidium must be regarded as not " proven." 



Nomenclature. 



In the present state of chaos and conflicting opinions upon 

 the subject of nomenclature it is gratifying to note that the 

 Congress has indicated a system and rules which may lead to 

 finality. All entomologists are agreed that the time is ripe for 

 action. The difficulty hitherto has been the adoption of methods 

 calculated to bring about the desired end. Those who heard 

 M. Charles Oberthiir's eloquent appeal, " Pas de bonne figure a 

 I'appui d'une description, pas de nom valable," cannot fail to 

 have been struck at once by the sincerity of the speaker and the 

 splendour of his ideas. But British entomologists cannot 

 accept the proposition, even when M. Oberthiir is prepared to 

 concede a photograph instead of a coloured figure, and though, 

 in parliamentary phrase, the motion was not pressed to a 

 division, the feeling of the Congress was obviously in favour of 

 " words " as opposed to ** pictures," and the arguments brought 

 forward in Mr. L. B. Prout's paper " On the Place of Figures in 

 Descriptive Entomology," In the end, therefore, the resolutions 

 sent up by the Entomological Society of London were adopted 

 in principle, and it was decided to institute an International 

 Committee to deal with the subject of entomological nomen- 

 clature. The Congress also advised the formation of national 

 committees in each country, to be elected by the various ento- 

 mological societies, to collect opinions and consider changes 

 required in the International Code ; and further commissioned 

 the International Committee to communicate their resolutions 

 to the International Committee on Zoological Nomenclature. 



Other Papers. 



I regret that in the space at my disposal I can do no more 

 than mention the titles of some of the other papers read. They 

 include the fascinating study by Professor J. H. Comstock, 

 " The Silk of Spiders, and its Uses " ; " Scent Organs in the 

 Lepidoptera," Dr. F. A. Dixey, M.D., F.R.S.; "Sex Limited 

 Inheritance in Insects," Professor L. Doncaster; "On the Vivi- 

 parity of PolyctenidsB," Dr. K. Jordan ; " On the Founding of 

 Colonies by Ants," Mr. H. St. J. Donisthorpe and Mr. W. C. 

 Crawley ; " How does the Insect See the World ? " Dr. Adalbert 

 Seitz ; Professor Kellogg's suggestive researches on "Distribu- 

 tion and Species-forming among Ectoparasites" ; and Mr. S. A. 

 Neave's vivid resume of his " Travels as an Entomologist in 

 Eastern Africa." 



