76 



sible to say where the line should be drawn between descriptions which did and those 

 which did not entitle a name to priority; that what one enlooiologist would consider 

 to be a good description, by another would be considered faulty and untrustworthy ; 

 that what in one age was a sufficient description became in a subsequent age insuffi- 

 cient, from the discovery of new species, and other reasons ; that the consequence of a 

 strict application of Dr. Schaum's rule would be the immediate abolition from our 

 lists of all or most of the Linnean and Fabrician names ; and lastly, that Dr. Schaum 

 had in some degree shown the impracticability of his rule by himself not having acted 

 up to it. In reference to some criticisms contained in the paper, on the descriptions 

 in Stephens' works, and in Mr. Hope's paper on insects brought from Nepau! by Gen. 

 Hardwick, in the 'Zoological Miscellany,' Prof. Westwood remarked ihat Dr. Schaum 

 appeared to have forgotten that Stephens described his genera in two ways — first, 

 a few words of description to each genus, pointing out the principal characters ; 

 secondly, a synoptical table of the genera in each family, wherein the most minute 

 characters were noticed. As to Mr. Hope's descriptions, he might mention that 

 the paper on Nepaulese insects, as published, was a mere abstract of what Mr. Hope 

 wrote; he knew it to be a fact that when the paper was written it was, for some 

 reason or other, inconvenient to give it at length in the 'Zoological Miscellany,' and 

 the elaborate descriptions of Mr. Hope were cut down to the meagre half-dozens of 

 words which had incurred the censure of Dr. Schaum. 



A new Part of the ' Transactions,' Vol. i., 3rd series, Part I., was on the table, 

 ready for distribution among the members and subscribers. 



May 5, 1862. 

 Fredeeick Smith, Esq., President, in the chair. 



Donations. 



The following donations were announced, and thanks ordered to be given to the 

 donors : — 'Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London,' Vol. vi. 

 No. 22; presented by the Society. 'The Zoologist' for May; by the Editor. 

 ' Sitzungsberichte der Konigl. bayer. Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Miinchen;' 

 by the Academy. 'Journal de la Societe Entomologique Beige,' Tome v. ; by the 

 Society. ' The Intellectual Observer,' No. 4 ; by Messrs. Groombridge & Song. 

 ' The Journal of the Society of Arts' for April ; by the Society. ' The London Review' 

 for April ; by the Editor. ' The Athenaeum ' for April ; by the Editor. ' The 

 Journal of Entomology,' No. 5 ; by the Proprietors. 



Election of Members. 



George Eobert Gray, Esq., the Rev. T. H. Browne, and Alfred Haward, Esq., 

 were ballotted for and elected Members of the Society. 



