2582 Entomological Society. 



todon saurus, a Mexican species termed (through erroneous information of its habitat) 

 Picus cafer, or an olive-coloured one Muscicapa atra, — or when a name is derived 

 from an accidental monstrosity, as in Picus semirostris of Linneus and Helix dis- 

 juncta of Turton, we feel justified in cancelling these names, and adopting that 

 synonym which stands next in point of date.' And again, ' At the same time we 

 think it right to remark that this privilege is very liable to abuse, and ought therefore 

 to be applied only to extreme cases and with great caution. With these limitations 

 we may concede that a name may be changed when it implies a false proposition 

 which is likely to propagate important errors.' In the first place, there is here no 

 positive rule laid down ; and unless a rule is fixed and definite, of what use is it ? In 

 the second place, who is to decide when a name is or is not likely to propagate im- 

 portant errors ? A very large proportion of insects are named after plants on which 

 they do not feed : but as a name is not meant to be a description, why change it be- 

 cause if viewed as a description it is found incorrect. Rule 12, which throws down 

 manuscript names, or names published in a Catalogue (without any description), is a 

 regulation quite in accordance with my own views. Rule 13 having been generally 

 adopted in past cases, and being not likely to be called into use in future, may safely 

 be conceded : thus, instead of Cossus cossus, L., we say Cossus Ligniperda, F. Rule 

 14, ' In writing zoological names the rules of Latin orthography must be adhered to.' 

 This is a very doubtful rule, especially when we find it recommended that ' when a 

 name has been erroneously written, and its orthography afterwards amended, we con- 

 ceive that the authority of the original author should still be retained for the name, 

 and not that of the person who makes the correction.' Are we then to say Sulzeriella 

 of Linneus, Christiernini of Linneus, Tapetiella of Linneus, such names not occur- 

 ring in Linneus at all ? but instead thereof, Sulzella, Christiernana, Tapezella : surely 

 this would be making confusion, not lessening it. 



" I cannot conclude this paper without a few words in reply to the facetious re- 

 marks of the Editor of the 'Zoologist,' (Zool. 2549). He states that the novelties 

 in the laws to which his remarks refer will not be attended to : now I utterly deny that 

 they contain any novelties. Let us see if we can find one. Is it in Law No. 1 , 

 that ' the name first given to an insect by printed publication is always that which 

 is to be retained' ? Surely this is no novelty ; for I observe in the ' Zoologist,' (Zool. 

 2136), the words, ' I cannot pronounce too emphatically that priority is the only 

 law I can ever consent to acknowledge in the nomenclature of species,' and they are 

 followed by the signature, ' Edward Newman.' Is the novelty in Law No. 2, that 

 4 No two species in the same genus should bear the same specific name ' ? Having 

 been told by so many parties that is an axiom and a truism, I cannot surely believe 

 there is any novelty in it. Law No. 3 is no new law, but merely a deduction 

 from Law No. 1 ; and any one fully granting Law No. 1 cannot dispute this law. 

 The writer further adds, that in these laws ' there are good points, but none of these 

 have the charm of novelty, neither do they require re-enactment.' It must surely have 

 escaped his notice, perhaps in the hurry of the moment, that an attempt is being 

 made to supersede the law of priority in certain groups of Lepidoptera, by a law (by 

 many people considered a novelty) of uniform terminations : I and others, therefore, 

 deemed it necessary to remind the authors of this crotchet of the law of priority, by 

 proposing to re-enact it." 



Mr. Westwood said he was opposed to the rigid adoption of uniform terminations 

 of names, and he respected the law of priority of name generally, but he thought that 



