58 



wish to make in this note amounts simply to the adoption of the 

 exclusive use of such names in all purely economic writings. Such 

 exclusive use I would apply to a list of species approved by this 

 Association. 



For example, such names as codling moth, chinch bug, Hessian fly, 

 pea weevil, bean weevil, Cecropia moth, plum curculio, hog louse, 

 and many others I could name have just as definite and precise a 

 significance to every entomologist and to every farmer and gardener 

 as the Latin terms usually appended to them, and no confusion would 

 ensue from omitting the variable Latin compound. 



This, of course, has not always been the case, and I readily admit 

 the need of using the additional terms in the early writings of eco- 

 nomic entomology, but I believe the time has now come when for a 

 considerable list of names we could safely rely on the vernacular 

 name alone. 



I do not believe in a too radical departure, but it seems to me it 

 would be safe to adopt the following plan : Let this Association appoint 

 a committee of its members to correspond with entomologists repre- 

 senting as wide a territory as possible, each one of whom should be 

 requested to prepare a list of, say, 300 insects of widespread occur- 

 rence and for which a definite common name is used. These lists to 

 be sent to some designated person, the secretary, for instance, or a 

 chairman elected by the committee, who should select from the vari- 

 ous lists such names as appear in all or in a majority of them, and 

 thus prepare a list of, say, 100 names, which might again be referred 

 to the members representing different districts, to be submitted to the 

 association at the next meeting for action, and, if approved, all mem- 

 bers be advised or urged to use in their economic writings such names 

 only, without any Latin combination or with the Latin name at one 

 place in article only. 



It may appear at first sight that this will afford but little relief, but 

 if we look at any bibliography we will find that the great body of 

 written matter on economic entomology is devoted to less than 100 

 species. Howard says there are 73 "prime " insect pests in the United 

 States. I am sure that of these a large proportion have a common 

 name that has now become so definite in the literature of economic 

 entomology as to be clearly distinctive. 



Moreover, our list once established may be increased as rapidly as 

 it is found that certain names have come to have such definite signifi- 

 cance as to render their use secure. We have already an excellent 

 basis for the starting of such a list in the sets of names gathered by 

 Professor Gillette and elaborated by Professor Doran. 



This list with the Latin equivalents would, of course, be published 

 with our proceedings, perhaps in other places for standard reference, 

 and any author who chose might have appended to his paper Latin 

 equivalents for the names used in his paper. 



