THE YOUNG NATUEALIST. 



£55 



mologists differed in many instances from 

 those in use on the continent. Mr. 

 Doubleday set to work to compare the lists, 

 to ascertain by which names British species 

 were known elsewhere, and which were the 

 names that by the " Law of Priority " were 

 the proper ones to use. After an amount of 

 patient labour and careful study, that it is 

 now very difficult to estimate at its true 

 value, he gave the Entomological world the 

 " Synonymic List of British Lepidoptera." 

 Mr. Doubleday was perhaps the fittest man 

 living to undertake such a work, and the 

 manner in which he accomplished it will 

 be understood when we learn that it has 

 ever since been the Standard list of British 

 species. Of this "List" there have been 

 two editions, and two supplements to the 

 second edition, but it has been out of print 

 for some years. Since the date of the last 

 edition, investigations into the writings of 

 the older entomologists have shown that 

 many species had been described and named 

 prior to the writer, whose name had hitherto 

 been in use. In accordance with what is 

 called "The Law of Priority" the earliest 

 name must stand, and all subsequent names 

 become of no further service and are called 

 synonyms. They are however retained in 

 a list like the present, that those who study 

 the various works in which they have been 

 described may be able to trace them, and 

 learn to what species they refer. The 

 labours of British Entomologists during the 

 years which have elapsed since the issue of 

 Doubleday's list, have resulted in the 

 discovery of many species not previously 

 known to inhabit Britain, and also of some 

 that are new to science. Besides these 

 alterations of names and additions to our 

 list of species, our advanced knowledge has 

 in many cases enabled us to improve the 

 classification and make it more natural. 

 Thus there were three good reasons why we 

 should have a new list or revised edition of 

 the old one. Many of the alterations in 



names had already been adopted in this 

 country ; the new species also were known 

 and their names were to be found in 

 exchange and trade lists, but there was no 

 reference catalogue in existence of later 

 date than Doubleday's, and it was much 

 needed. This then was what Mr. South 

 attempted to give, and the result of his 

 labour is now before us. 



Perhaps the greatest amount of adverse 

 criticism will be directed against the 

 alterations in arrangement he has intro- 

 duced, and especially that of the pro- 

 posed location of the Pterophori. The 

 order in which various species or 

 groups shall follow each other will always 

 be a matter of opinion, according to the 

 value different individuals give to different 

 organs or points of resemblance. There 

 will also always be some whose true location 

 is more or less doubtful. In Stainton's 

 Manual, published in 1854, the Heterocera 

 followed each other thus : — 



Sphinges 



Bombyces 



Noctuse 



Geometrae 



Pyrales (including not only the Deltoides 

 and Crambi, but the Nolidae). 



Tortrices 



Tinea 



Pterophori 

 In Doubleday's list the order was— 



Nocturni (including the Sphinges and 

 Bombyces, which latter include the Nolidae.) 



Geometras 



Drepanulidae 



Pseudo-Bombyces 



Noctuae 



Deltoides 



Pyrales 



Crambi 



Tortrices 



Tinea 



Pterophori 



In the list now before us considerable 



