10 Mr. John Scott on Lithocolletis. 



near the base. The tips of the anterior wings in some h'ghts steel 

 blue. Dark margins enclose all these white markings. The 

 apical black spot is almost concealed in the deep ground colour 

 of the wings. Posterior wings purplish, cilia the same. 



Taken in the beginning of July, near Renfrew, amongst birches 

 in a damp part of a wood. 



III. Critical Remarks upon the British Elateridse, with 

 Descriptions of some of the Species. By John 

 Curtis, F.L.S., &;c. 



[Read 6tli February, 1854.] 



What is the Elaler aterrhnus of Linnteus ? This simple question 

 has led to numerous discussions, and before the genus Elaler 

 was published in the " Britisli Entomology," I spared no pains 

 to arrive at the truth, which one would think was easy enough 

 from our possessing the collections of Linnaeus : such, however, 

 is not the case, and, as I have frequently stated, unless the spe- 

 cimens in the Linnsean cabinet agree perfectly with the descrip- 

 tions in the " Fauna Suecica" or the " Systema Naturae," the 

 authority is worthless. It is not to be supposed that the collec- 

 tion is as the elder Linnaeus left it ; for, owing to the natural 

 casualties attending such fragile and perishable objects as insects, 

 when neglected, and the various hands the property has gone 

 through during the greater part of a century, it could not be 

 expected to remain intact : moreover, at that early stage of natural 

 science, it cannot be controverted that species quite distinct 

 were included in cabinets under the same name, and Linnaeus, 

 no doubt, during his lifetime, left a great deal to be filled up by 

 his pupils and friends. Indeed, as far as nomenclature goes, no 

 collection that I have seen, of half the standing of Linnaeus's, has 

 been worth much to identify species ; and this misfortune has been 

 daily increasing from the egregious folly which has been so pre- 

 valent of multiplying species, and, under the most frivolous 

 pretext, of superseding old and well-established names. 



This is so important a subject, that I must be permitted to 

 guard the rising generation of Entomologists against being misled 

 by what is termed high authorities — indeed, not to put implicit 



