£ he gmmjj JTatnralist : 



A Penny Weekly Magazine of Natural History. 



No. 26. 



APRIL 24th, 1880. 



Vol. 1, 



ENGLISH NAMES. 



We have already spoken once on 

 his subject, but because we have used 

 Engl'sh names ourselves in many 

 jases, Ave have been rather mis-under- 

 stood, and think it well to refer to the 

 matter once more. Where we have 

 used English names, they are such as 

 ire generally known, and we have 

 ilways given the scientific name also. 

 Our object being to make ourselves 

 intelligible to those who were not 

 sufficiently advanced to know the 

 scientific names only, and to make 

 :hem familiar with the proper name, 

 md become accustomed to its use. We 

 ire quite aware that "hard names" 

 ire deterrent to beginners, and they 

 iave an idea that they can do better 

 jy using English names. It is a great 

 mistake. Of course English names 

 ire good enough for those who make 

 'pictures'' of their insects, if indeed 

 ;hey need any names at all, but for 

 :hose who wish to be Entomologists 

 -he scientific name alone is useful. 

 iVe have endeavoured to impress on 

 Br young readers, more than once, 

 hat they must learn something about 

 heir favourites, that to have specimens 



of each species in their collection, is 

 not enough. And if they really desire 

 to know anything at all about them, 

 they will find a knowledge of their 

 scientific names a great help in more 

 ways than one. On the other hand 

 what can be more absurd than some of 

 the English names by which they are 

 called. Xylina conformis is called in 

 Newman's British Moths " The Con- 

 formist,"' which we suppose to be a free 

 translation of the Latin name. X ylim i 

 Zinckenii is called The Nonconformist, 

 though we are not aware that Zincken, 

 in w hose honour the insect is named, 

 had anything to do with Noncon- 

 formity. We do not know who is 

 responsible for these two names, but 

 we doubt if ever anyone used them in 

 conversation, and we think it perfectly 

 monstrous to drag into science, any 

 allusion to the miserable controversies 

 of sectarians. Not only are there 

 many so-called English names equally 

 absurd, but there are so many alike, 

 that instead of helping, they hinder. 

 One is called " The Brindled Green," 

 another " The Green Brindled." Then 

 Miselia Oxyacanthw is the "Green 

 Brindled Crescent," and Valeria 



