REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON NOMENCLATURE. 25 



REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON NOMENCLATURE. 



At the last annual meeting of the association your committee presented a list 

 of names for adoption as recommended for exclusive use and also a second list 

 for consideration during the year. The secretary distributed them to all mem- 

 bers and the first list was also sent to some two hundred agricultural journals 

 and periodicals with the request of the society that these names be used in these 

 publications. With a few exceptions, the names so adopted seem to have been 

 used by all official entomologists, and it is sincerely hoped that the practice 

 may become universal, as it is firmly believed that a uniform practice in the 

 use of the common names of insects will not only favor the distribution of 

 accurate information about insects, but will serve a most useful purpose in the 

 education of the public regarding a subject which appears to them beset with 

 much difficulty. The cordial responses from members is much appreciated by 

 the committee, and it desires simply to state that in a subject where such wide 

 diversity has existed some concessions will be found necessary, and it is hoped 

 that a general agreement on a considerable list of names will eventually lead to 

 a much more universal agreement. 



From the list submitted for consideration during the past year we are now 

 able to select about forty which have been approved by all who have taken the 

 trouble to return their lists with sanction or objections. This list is submitted 

 for the consideration of the Association at this session along with a second list 

 which embraces names quite generally but not universally approved. A general 

 response would help the committee to a more certain conclusion. The lists re- 

 turned this year were but eighteen in number, but geographically covered the 

 territory from New Hampshire to Hawaii. If we assume that those not answer- 

 ing had no serious objections to the names listed, we may conclude that for quite 

 an extended list we will be able soon to secure general adoption and uniform 

 practice by such a body of entomologists as will make uniformity an assured 

 fact. 



Perhaps the greatest diversity now occurs in the matter of hyphenating com- 

 pound names, and while lack of uniformity in this is certainly much less serious 

 than the use of totally different names, it seems as if some general principle 

 might be adopted which, barring the persistence of printers and proof readers, 

 might secure some degree of uniformity. The greatest number of corrections on 

 the present list consisted in the insertion or the elimination of hyphens, and 

 many entomologists of high repute insisted on exactly opposite practice in a 

 considerable list of names. The committee feels that this matter may be left 

 to the individual taste or to the etymological rule in practice in different print- 

 ing establishments without sacrificing the main principle for which it is working, 

 but will be pleased to have instruction or expression of opinion from the Asso- 

 ciation on this point. Some have urged that the committee take up the question 

 of scientific names with the hope that some more uniform and settled practice 

 may result. Doubtless this will follow, but we feel that for this year at least 

 we should concentrate effort on the common names. 



We present herewith a list for final adoption and one for further considera- 

 tion. Unless a name is very generally agreed to, it had better be put on the 

 preferred list and only given final adoption on the exclusive list when general 

 agreement is reached. 



The list for further discussion is not to be published, but circulated among 

 members privately. The list printed below includes the names adopted at the 

 seventeenth annual meeting as well as those adopted at the eighteenth : 



