58 Mr. John Curtis's Descriptions of two Species 



been published by Mr. Curtis in his " Illustrations" (pi. 528, Dec. 

 1834), under the name o{ Cotiiopteryx, and is placed in the family 

 Psocidce. 



In justice to myself, I must state that 1 had no knowledge of 

 Mr. Westwood's Memoir, which to this day has never been pub- 

 h'shed that I am aware of; and my Paper, although only published 

 the end of November and dated 1st December, had been prepared 

 months before, as every one must know who has been engaged in 

 a work where drawings and engravings have to be made, and 

 plates printed and colored a consideral)le time in advance ; and it 

 is clear from the note quoted above that the Proceedings in which 

 it was inserted could not have been published until after my Paper 

 had been in tlie hands of the public. 



The question, however, is, whether a mere printed name is to be 

 adopted in preference to one published with elaborate dissections 

 and descriptions, to establish a genus ? I think not, and I believe 

 such is the opinion of most genuine men of science. 



The name of Coniopteryx has been adopted by Burmeister, 

 Rambur, Westwood,* Haliday,'j~ and even by Stephens, who had 

 included the species originally in the wrong order, confoimding it 

 with the Jleijrodes ; J and it is evident from Mr. Westwood 

 having adopted my name that he would not have disturbed the 

 established nomenclature had he been consulted in the compilation 

 of the List alluded to. 



The Entomological Society of Paris has ordered a book to be 

 laid on their table, with a request that any one will correct the 

 generic and specific names of insects, and show which ought to be 

 the established name. This appears to me to be so judicious and 

 useful, that I trust the same plan may be adopted by our Society, 

 for I am convinced that questions which appear too trifling to be 

 brought before the Society may thus be speedily, fairly and satis- 

 factorily disposed of to the great advantage of science. If my 

 suggestion should be acted upon, it will be necessary at certain 

 periods for a committee to review the entries made in the book, 

 and to print the names which it may appear just and right to them 

 to be adopted, copies of which should be forwarded to the Paris 



* Modern Classif. p. 48, 1839, the characters being copied from my Brit. Ent. 



t Ent. Trans, vol. v. p. xxxii. 



X Vide his Syst. Cat. pi, 2, p. 367, No. 9979. In his " Illustrations" (vol. vi. 

 p. 115), Mr. Stephens has fallen into a strange error, which he never corrected.. 

 He prints CoNioPTERyx, Leach ; what Dr. Leach could have to do with a group 

 he probably never saw, remains unexplained ; and on the following page Ste- 

 phens says," the genus was first characterised by Cuitis." 



