204 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. [September 



Notes. 



Entomological Nomenclature. — I have no wish to press my 

 opinion upon those whose whose knowledge and experience as Ento- 

 mologists are far more extensive and practical than my own. I only 

 venture to suggest, the London Entomological Society is, as you say, 

 the only body which could undertake to revise and fix the names for 

 the British Insecta. Suppose a committee of the L.E.S. to have been 

 appointed to select names for the British Insecta, which are appropriate 

 and in good taste. They would restrict themselves to British insects of 

 course. Let them begin with Lepidoptera, where the confusion is 

 especially disheartening. There are about 2,200 British species, these 

 may be divided into some ten divisions. When the committee has 

 decided upon suitable names for one such division, let the list be 

 printed and forwarded to the corresponding member of each of the 

 leading local societies. It would doubtless be discussed at meetings 

 of these societies. Their criticisms would then be transmitted to the 

 original L.E.S. committee and would then be considered. Then let 

 the final result be submitted to a general meeting of the L.E.S. ; 

 some further revision by the committee might be requisite, but when 

 the selected names have been finally adopted at a general meeting of 

 the L.E.S. we may anticipate that the existing unscientific uncertainty 

 will be for ever abolished. This work is surely necessary, if Ento- 

 mology is to hold rank as a science. — (Rev.) J. Watson, Upper Norwood. 

 August 1st, 1891, 



We thought we had made it clear last month that the Entomo- 

 logical Society of London had already undertaken the work in 

 question, though it is fifteen years since any portion of the " General 

 Catalogue of the Insecta of the British Isles " was published. The 

 parts that have appeared are as follows : — 



I. Neuroptera, by R. McLachlan, 1870. ' 

 II. Hymenoptera (Aculeata) by F. Smith, 1871. 



III. ,, (Chrysididae, Ichneumonidae, Braconidse 

 and Evanidae) by Rev. J. A. Marshall, 1872. 



IV. Hymenoptera (Oxyura) by Rev. J. A. Marshall, 1873. 

 V. Hemiptera (Heteroptera and Homoptera, Cicadaria and 



Phytophthires) by J. W. Douglas & J. Scott, 1876- 

 Fellows interested in the question should raise the subject at the 

 monthly meetings, and keep on raising it. — Ed. B.N. 



