178 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



fAUGUST 



authority would be universally accepted. Could not you advocate 

 some such scheme, which would confer a great boon upon all who are 

 interested in Entomological pursuits. — (Rev.) J. Watson, Upper 

 Norwood. 



Yes, the Entomological Society is the only body that could under- 

 take the work, and they acknowledged their responsibility when they 

 commenced their " Proposed General Catalogue of the Insects of the 

 British Isles." We doubt whether political expedients can be advan- 

 tageously applied to science, and fear the " reprerentative system " 

 which would give the most ignorant as much power as the most learned, 

 would scarcely answer for naming Lepidoptera. Such portions of the 

 " General Catalogue" as have already appeared were prepared by in- 

 dividuals, and the same course should be pursued by the remainder. 

 Mr. W. F. Kirby, is, no doubt, the gentleman who ought to be selected, 

 and though we do not agree with all his opinions on nomenclature, we 

 would cheerfully accept a catalogue of his preparing. Mr. Kirby says 

 in the " Record " of 15th July, respecting the Acronycta muddle — " If 

 every author who alters or improves the characters of a genus con- 

 siders himself at liberty to re-name it, or to impose a new name on any 

 sub-division of a genus, without enquiring whether any name exists 

 Vv^hich can be lawfully applied to it, we may as well abandon the study 

 of Entomology as foredoomed to hopeless and irretrievable confusion." 

 This is the point we have always taken, though here much more tersely 

 expressed. It is the constant and purposeless alterations of names that 

 is rendering "science subservient to nomenclature."— Ed. B.N. 



Captures at Warrington. - Last Saturday, (nth July) I got a- 

 bout 30 C. davits on our mosses, 3 E. russula : A. strigilaria was out in 

 abundance, and A. porphyrea, I also got 2 rumicis at sugar, one a very 

 pale grey specimen. Is not this very late for rumicis in fine condition. 

 — J. Collins, Warrington. 



Collecting at York. — My collecting has been mostly done at 

 Askham Bog, just outside York, where I have made some good bags 

 made up with fairly good species. A . lepovina has been at sugar in 

 numbers, whilst Collix sparsata has been the most abundant Geometer. 

 I have met with a very lovely form of N . rubi in good condition, the 

 ground colour of which is similar to X. cerago. — S. Walker, York. 

 17th My 1891. 



