130 THE entomologist's record. 



I concluded that it would lead to greater accuracy to deal with each 

 group separately, and to pay no attention to the work of any previous 

 students in this direction, until my own studies de novo were completed, 

 when a general collation ought to lead to fairly conclusive results. 



On these lines I have worked out the generic synonymy of the 

 " Skippers," so far as it related to the Paltearctic species, and showed, 

 historically, their effective types, in A Natural History of the British 

 Butterflies, pt. i., pp. 84-85, the mode of type fixation being based on 

 the automatic rules of the " Merton code." This study will no doubt 

 be in the hands of most entomologists interested in British butterflies. 

 The question of the generic names to be used in the Ruralides 

 (LYCiENiDEs), and the fixation of their types, has been a very serious 

 matter, but close study for the last twelve months has led me to certain 

 conclusions. As most of these conclusions will probably be accepted, and 

 come into general use, by the students of our British butterflies, it has been 

 deemed advisable to publish the same independently in this magazine, 

 so that all lepidopterists may have a chance of knowing, if they care, 

 why the names are used in preference to others. Besides, it always gives 

 a chance to the "heathen to blaspheme," and to keep their entomo- 

 logical interests (commencing with the butterflies and ending with the 

 Noctuas) alive, as well as suggesting something fresh to grumble about, 

 and truly, to enjoy life, a grumble is sometimes an absolute necessity. 

 That being so, I offer the following, to students and grumblers alike, 

 as an attempt de novo to work out honestly the genera of our European 

 RuKALiDES, sorrowing that Thecla, Zephyrus, Neiiieobius, and other loved 

 names appear to have to go by the board, and trusting that anyone who 

 has studied the literature, and has a logical conclusion to offer in place 

 of any one of those published, will please let me have it privately 

 without delay, so that due consideration may be given thereto before 

 I publish the parts of A Natural History of the British Lepidoptera 

 containing our studies of the " Blues," " Coppers," " Hairstreaks," 

 and " lucina." I need not say that I shall hold myself greatly obliged 

 to any entomologist who satisfactorily proves any of the following facts 

 to be erroneous, or any of the conclusions to be historically wrong. 



[1758] 1780. Plebeius, [Linne,] Kluk. — First used in generic sense by Kluk 

 in 1780. Heterotypieal. Crotch, in 1872, erroneously states that Cuvier, in 1799, 

 fixed argus as type, but Cuvier does not use the name generically. Besides Crotch's 

 indication, Kirby, in 1896, fixed the type as argus (aryyrognovion). 



[1758] 1781. EuKALis, [Linne,] Barbut. — Heterotypieal in its use by Linne. 

 Type fixed as betidae by Barbut in 1781. 



1801. CupiDo, Schrank. ^Heterotypieal. Type fixed in 1870, by Kirby as 

 alsus (which, he says, is included in Schrank's puer as ? of that species). 

 Schrank's (f puer is a tailed s^^ecies = argiade$. Alsus { = minima) accepted as type 

 by Tutt, in 1896. 



1804. PoLYOMMATUs, LatrciUe. — Genus^founded independently to cover exactly 

 the same ground as Cupido. Type fixed in 1804 as argus { = icarus) by Latreille. 

 Confirmed by Latreille in 1817 as icarus, with reference to Hiibner, figs. 292-4. 



1806. Rdsticds, Hiibner. — Created solely for argus, Hb. (argyrognomon), 

 which is therefore the type. Falls before Plebeius, [Linne,] Kluk. 



1807. Thecla, Fabricius. — Heterotypieal. Type fixed in 1821 by Swainson 

 as betulae, Linn. Confirmed by Curtis in 1829, and by Westwood in 1840. Falls 

 therefore as a synonym of Ruralis, [Linne,] Barbut. 



1807. Ltc^na, Fabricius. — Heterotypieal, containing "blues " and "coppers." 

 Restricted by Latreille in 1809 to the untailed "blues," and by Oken in 1816 to 

 the " blues." Type fixed in 1824 by Curtis as phlaeas, but this action ultra vires 

 in face of previous restriction. Type fixed in 1838 as arion by Thon. 



