22 ON THE NOMENCLATURE 



edition of his Entomologia Systematica gave the name of 

 Scarabaus to all the Scarabai terrestres of De Geer, with 

 the exception of those composing the genus Trox; and 

 that therefore he comprehended under this name the true 

 insects ; yet in the Systema Eleutheratorum he gives it to 

 the modern Geotrupida alone. As he had it in his power 

 to apply the term properly when the genus Ateuchus was 

 separated by Weber from Copris, it is to be regretted that 

 so many excellent opportunities of rectifying the nomen- 

 clature should have been neglected. The alterations in sy- 

 stematical arrangement made by Olivier rendered it pos- 

 sible, and even easy, for him also to have assigned the 

 name to its proper place. But unfortunately the Fabrician 

 names were adopted where they ought not to have been ; 

 and the consequence is, that the naturalist points out as a 

 Scarabaus an insect totally different from those known 

 under that appellation to the antiquarian, the artist, and 

 the scholar. Now it so happens that these mischievous 

 changes have taken place in the quarter of all others the 

 most conspicuous, and consequently are the most hurtful 

 to the interests of entomology, as hardly any insect is to 

 be reckoned so celebrated in antiquity as the true Scara- 

 baus. On the ground then of priority of right, as well as 

 of absolute necessity, the name Scarabaus is here restored 

 to the Ateuchus sacer, Fab.; and to the genus Scarabaus 

 of Latreille I have assigned the name Dynastes, in other 

 respects always adopting the generic names of the last-men- 

 tioned entomologist a . 



There remains, however, still to be mentioned a pecu- 

 liarity of nomenclature, which, though by no means ori- 



a " Abstineamus a tali mutatione, quae tantummodo confusionem et 

 tandem ruiuam scientiae parit." Philos. Entom. p. 113. 



