226 
1846, calling it Clupea caeruleovittata, but Schlegel’s 
description appeared on p. 237 of his book, while 
Richardson’s appeared on p. 305 of his book. There- 
fore Schlegel’s name has “page priority.” | But in 
1901 Jordan and Snyder changed the generic name 
from Clupea to Clupanodon; and then in 1906 Jordan 
(the same worker) and Herre changed it from Clupa- 
nodon to Sardinella. In the present paper Jordan, 
Tanaka, and Snyder discard Sardinella and go back 
to an old generic name Amblygaster, used by Bleeker 
in 1849. So it remains for the immediate present. 
Of course, irritating as all this is, one cannot but 
feel that a rigid adherence to the rules of priority 
(provided that systematists can agree about these) is 
the only way by which we can approach finality in 
matters of nomenclature. 
ever, with regard to generic and family names, and 
one may reasonably urge that so long as large tracts 
of the earth are imperfectly explored, and so long as 
accessions to specific lists may be expected, the older 
generic names should be retained. Even should the 
genus attain ‘“‘ unwieldy” dimensions, it may be broken 
up into divisions of a provisional nature, but the 
temptation to make new genera might be resisted, for 
as a rule these generic changes only burden the 
synonymies. When the same author places a species in 
three genera, almost within the same decade, one does 
not feel confident that the state of our knowledge 
justifies the adoption of the rather fine distinctions on 
which these groupings depend. 
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGICAL 
SERVICE. 
OEE years ago, in 1884, the Canadian Govern- 
ment appointed a Dominion Entomologist to advise 
agriculturists and others regarding the control of insect 
pests. Two years later, on the establishment of the 
experimental farms system, Dr. James Fletcher, who 
occupied the position, was attached to the new branch 
of the Department of Agriculture in the joint capacity 
of entomologist and botanist, which position he occu- 
pied with conspicuous success until his death in 1908. 
The growth in importance of the subjects necessitated 
their separation, and accordingly divisions of ento- 
mology and botany were created. Dr. C. Gordon 
Hewitt was appointed Dominion entomologist in 1909, 
and entrusted with the work of organising the new 
division of entomology of the Experimental Farms 
Branch of the Department of Agriculture, with offices 
and laboratory at the Central Experimental Farm, 
Ottawa. 
The urgent need of legislation in order to permit 
action to be taken to prevent the introduction into 
Canada and spread within the country of serious insect 
pests and plant diseases was responsible for the 
passage of the Destructive Insect and Pest Act in 
1910. The still greater need of investigations on the 
insect pests affecting agriculture, forestry, and other 
branches of human activity has led to the establish- 
ment of field or regional laboratories in different parts 
of Canada, with trained entomologists in charge to 
study local problems. 
Owing to the consequent expansion of the entomo- 
logical work along investigatory and administrative 
lines, and the fact that such work did not constitute 
a necessary part of the work of the experimental farms 
system, and executively was virtually distinct, the 
Entomological Service has now been separated from 
the Experimental Farms Branch, and has been con- 
stituted an independent branch of the Department of 
Agriculture under the direction of the Dominion Ento- 
mologist. It is proposed to erect a building to provide 
NO, 2322, V0n-03 | 
NATURE 
The case is different, how- | 
[APRIL 30, 1914 
offices and laboratories for the new entomological 
branch. Correspondents are requested to note that all 
official communicaticns and publications should be 
addressed to ‘‘The Dominion Entomologist, Depart- 
ment of Agriculture, Ottawa” 
This reorganisation, which wili also include the 
establishment of a national collection of the insects 
of Canada in the Canadian National Museum (the 
Victoria Memorial Museum) at Ottawa, under the 
care of the Dominion Entomologist, marks an impor- 
tant step in Canadian entomology. It will result in 
a still greater development of the study of Canadian 
insects along scientific and practical lines. 
DISEASES OF PLANTS. 
R. G. H. PETHYBRIDGE, economic botanist to 
the Department of Agriculture and Technical 
Instruction for Ireland, has recently published two 
papers, of considerable scientific as well as economic 
interest, on species of the genus ‘Phytophthora, and 
the diseases which these fungi cause in the potato. 
In the first paper (Sci. Proc. Royal Dublin Soc., 
vol. xiii., No. 35) he describes the rotting of potato 
tubers by a species of Phytophthora having a method 
of sexual reproduction hitherto undescribed, and gives 
in the introductory portion of the paper a useful sum- 
mary of the literature dealing with the chief forms of 
rot previously known to occur in the potato tuber. 
The new form of rot (“pink rot’’) is caused by the 
new fungus Phytophthora erythroseptica, the most 
peculiar feature of which is the fact that the oogonium 
rudiment enters the antheridium at or near its base. 
the female organ then growing up through the male 
and out at the top, expanding there to form the 
oogonium proper in which the oosphere develops. 
The “pink rot” disease is prevalent in the west of 
Ireland, and the losses caused by it, which are con- 
siderable, and in some cases being greater than those 
due to P. infestans, are greatest in crops grown con- 
tinuously on the same land (infection taking place 
from the soil), and can be avoided by a proper rota- 
tion; it is probably transmitted to some extent by 
oospores which adhere to the seed tubers. 
In the second paper (ibid., No. 36) Dr. Pethybridge, 
in conjunction with Mr. P. A. Murphy, describes the 
results of investigations on the common potato blight 
fungus, Phytophthora infestans, and points out that 
much remains to be discovered regarding the life- 
history and modes of transmission of this well-known 
parasite. Thick-walled spores were found in the 
tissues of various parts of the potato plant that had 
been destroyed by P. infestans, and these are probably 
the oospores of this fungus. The two papers are illus- 
trated by beautiful figures, including two plates of 
very fine photomicrographs. 
In connection with the foregoing paragraphs, men- 
tion may be made of a paper received simultaneously, 
dealing with the same group of fungi, entitled 
‘‘Studies in Peronosporacez,’’ by Mr. E. J. Butler, 
Imperial Mycologist, and Mr. G. S. Kulkarni, Myco- 
logical Assistant, Bombay Department of Agriculture 
(Memoirs of the Department of Agriculture in India, 
Botanical Series, vol. v.. No. 5, 1913). The forms 
described in detail by the authors are P. colocasiae 
(parasitic on Colocasia esculenta), the ubiquitous 
Pythium debaryanum, Sclerospora graminicola (para- 
sitic on three Indian cereals and a fodder grass), and 
S. maydis (a very destructive parasite on maize, which 
has apparently reached India recently from Java). 
The four papers included in these careful studies are 
illustrated by fine plates, in some cases coloured, and 
directions are given for treatment of the disease in 
question. F. Ge 
