52 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



[March 



Manual, " Fore wings dull grey brown, with the inner and elbowed 

 line whitish ; hind wings dull yellowish, with a broad blackish-grey 

 hind margin." 



Now as Hcefnagel's description of Matura is a very unintelligible 

 one, let us try Fabricius' description of Cyilierea, " Cristatis ahs 

 incumbentibus variegatis ; striga alba posticis ftavis ; margius fresco. 

 Minor N. pronuba. Alae anticae cinerco frescogue varise maculis in 

 medio ordinarici. Pone maculas striga distmcta, undata, alba. 

 Posticae flaurae margius fresco. Subutus anticae obscura, posticae 

 pallidae." 



Staudinger's synonymy of this species is Malum, Hoefn., 1767 ; 

 Texta, Esp., 1787 ; Cytherea, Fab., 1794. 



Now as Staudinger and Wocke have professed to have compiled 

 their catalogue in conformity with the laws of priority, let us 

 have a peep into their catalogue. The species standing first in this 

 work is 



Papilio sinon, Poda, 1761. 



Podalirius, L., 1763. 

 It appears that Staudinger took it for granted that the name Podalirius 

 was given first in the 12th Edition of the " Systema Naturae," and 

 was in such a hurry to upset the rule instituted by the British Asso- 

 ciation that he neglected to look up the other editions. Had he done 

 so, he would have found that Linnaeus gave the name in the 10th 

 Edition of the " Systema Naturae," so that it had three years prece- 

 dence over the Sinon of Poda. 



Now let us take the genus Colias. Linnaeus named a certain spe- 

 cies Hyale, giving the following description in the 12th Edition of the 

 " Systema Naturae : " — " Alis integerrimis rotundatis flavis; posticis 

 macula fulva, subtus puncto sesqui-altero argenteo. Faun. Suec, 

 1040 ; Scop. Carn., 455 ; Pet. Gaz., t. 14, f. 11 ; Raj. Inf., 112, n. 6 ; 

 Schaeff. Elem., t. 94, 7. 7 ; Geoff. Paris. II, p. 75-, n. 48 ; Edw. Av. 

 304, f. 1, 2 ; Roef. lnj. Ill,, t. 46, f. 4, 5. Habitat in Europa, Africa, 

 America septentionali." Linnaeus gives eight references tor this 

 insect, seven of which I have been able to consult, and all, without 

 exception, refer indubitably to G. Edusa. Fab., and all the figures 

 represent the female. 



In Mr. Kirby's " Catalogue of the Butterflies of the World " we 

 find this same species under the name of 



Cvoccus, Fourcroy, 1785. 

 The proper synonymy of the species should be 



Hyale, Linn., 1758 and 1766. 



Edusa, Fab., 1776 and 1787. 



Croceus, Fourcroy, 1785. 

 It is a well-known species, and was figured as long ago as 1633 in 



