150 
CHAPTER OF CRITICISM. 
the history of any order or class of British insects so far as that invaluable 
work has proceeded; for it is absolutely necessary to be possessed by every 
entomologist who wishes to study the subject scientifically or thoroughly. The 
species described by Mr. Duncan are the following: — Oxycera pulchella^ 0. tri- 
lineata^ 0. muscaria^ O.formosa^ 0. terminata^ and O. analis; those which he 
has omitted are 0. pardalina 0. leonina^ 0. Morrisii^ and the 0. affinis^ 
alluded to above. Are we ‘‘ ex uno (genere) discere omnes’’ or not ? 
In the number of the Magazine of 'Natural History for April 1837, my friend 
Mr. H. E. Strickland propounds some rules for zoological nomenclature which 
appear to have been rather hastily put together. Rule 1 says, The Latin 
nomenclature forms the only legitimate language of Zoology (Swainson). Latin 
names are adopted by naturalists of all nations, and are therefore preferable to 
any other. Where one language is sufficient for the purpose, all others are super¬ 
fluous.” Rule 10 states, that names should be taken either from the Latin or 
Greek languagesand rule 19, that “ generic names should in general be com¬ 
pounded of Greek words, and specific of Latin.” This latter rule, though 
heretofore, as Mr. Strickland also observes, partially and faintly acted upon, 
was, I believe, first distinctly laid down by me in a late number of The 
Naturalist; yet no mention is made of this, although the names of the authors 
of the other rules are attached to each. Perhaps, however, Mr. Strickland had 
not seen the paper alluded to.—In rule 21 it is stated, that specific names may 
be taken from the size of the species; yet in rule 14 we are told that ‘Hhe 
meaning of names should be founded on absolute characters, not on relative or 
comparative ones.” Now size is only affected by relation or comparison.'— 
Lastly, rules 6 and 11 appear to me to be coextensive in meaning, though 
differently expressed. The one is in fact merely a repetition of the other, being 
tantamount to it. From the former we learn that a name may be expunged 
whose meaning is false, as applied to the object or group which it represents.” 
The latter says, that “ the meaning of a name must imply some proposition 
which is true as applied to the object which it represents.” The “Rules for 
Zoological Nomenclature” appear, therefore, to require considerable revision. 
I am, sir. 
Your obedient servant, 
Francis Orpen Morris. 
Honcaster^ April 4, 1837. 
