SPECIFIC NAMES. 65 



in inches and lines, which are the twelfth parts of an inch in 

 English, and the tenth parts of an inch in French measiu-e. 



To each species of insect two names are given, namely, a 

 generic and a specific one : as, for instance, Smerinthiis 

 ocellatus (the eyed hawk-moth). This admirably concise 

 plan superseded the old verbose mode of speaking of species, 

 which orchnarily required many words to distinguish them ; 

 as for example, the name of the eyed hawk-moth in Ray's 

 time was " Phalsena magna, cinereo, dilute rubente et nigro 

 coloribus varia, cum maculis oculos referentibus in interiori- 

 bus alis." The names of species are ordinarily derived from, 

 or are, Latin words, expressive of some specific peculiarity. 

 Thus we have Fhalcena mori, the silk-worm moth, or moth of 

 the mulberry-tree ; Melolontha solstitialis, the summer cock- 

 chafer ; Mutilla eurojjcea, the European mutilla ; Carabus 

 violaceus, the violet-colom-ed carabus, &c.&c. &c. Often a 

 poetical licence was introduced, the death's head moth, for 

 instance, being named Acherontia Atropos, after one of the 

 Fates. From the great advantages resulting from the spe- 

 cific names, it is highly essential that they should be un- 

 changeable. The Linna3an names have consequently and 

 constantly a pre-eminence, the great Swede having first 

 introduced them into natural history. In like manner, the 

 name imposed upon any new species by the original describer 

 thereof, is retained in preference to all subsequent ones ; 

 unless, indeed, some signal error should have occurred in the 

 imposition of the original name. Here, however, it is neces- 

 sary that we do not permit our love of change to overcome 

 what is really useful. It has been said, for instance, that if 

 a specific name be derived from a character which is after- 

 wards discovered to be a generic one — as, for instance, Leis- 

 tus spinibarbis, Loricera pilicornis j or if such name be 

 derived from a sexual character — as, for instance, Eucera 

 lovyicornis, Eulophus romicornis, Eulophus damicornis, Eulo- 



g3 



