MR. R. TRIMEN ON ASTRAPXOR ILLUMINATOR. 503 



already sufficiently confused synonymy. An appeal to an author 

 older than Linnaeus may be useful to fix a species ; but the 

 danger of making any exceptions to the rigid limit of 1767 in 

 adopting specific names is so great, that it appears most desirable 

 to refuse the claims of all previous authors. In a few cases, 

 however, they may be admitted without danger. For example, 

 Clerck figured a Papilio hylas in 1764, not noticed by Linnjeus. 

 Hiibner and G-odart figured and described another species under 

 that name, which they mistook for Sylas, Clerck, Westwood 

 restores the name Hylas to Clerck's insect, and gives a new name 

 to the other species. Still it is doubtful whether it would not 

 have been better to rename Clerck's insect, rather than to admit 

 the claims of an author previous to 1767. 



It is uncertain whether names published without characters, 

 subsequently to 1767, but referring to figures or descriptions 

 published previously to that year, and which are sufficient to fix 

 the species, ought to be accepted ; but there is no reason why 

 they should not. For instance, Eottemburg, in 1775, applied 

 names to several species recognizably described without scientific 

 names by Geofiroy in 1762. There seems no reason why these 

 names should not claim priority over subsequent descriptions ; 

 but I am not aware that the point has ever been discussed, 

 although these names of Eottemburg's are now accepted by the 

 German entomologists. 



On the occurrence of Astraptor illuminator, Murray, or a closely 



allied insect, near Buenos Ay res. By Eolani) Trimen, Mem. 



Ent. Soc. Lond. (Communicated by Henry Trimen, M.B., 



F.L.S.) 



[Read November 4, 1869.] 



Cape Town, July 16, 1869. 

 In * The Journal of the Linuean Society,' vol. x. No. 42, there 

 appeared an interesting paper, by Mr. Andrew Muri-ay, on an 

 undescribed light-giving Coleopterous larva, provisionally named 

 Astraptor illuminator, which was found near Rio de Janeiro. 



On perusing the account (p. 77) of the larva's appearance 

 when alive, I was immediately reminded of the description of 

 a " caterpillar " given to me a few years ago by the Eev. Canon 

 Ogilvie, Principal of the Diocesan College near Cape Town. 

 Mr. Ogilvie, for some time before coming to the Cape, resided 



