CLASSIFICATION AND NOMT.NLLATtTilK. 
23 
ever cau be given, inasmuch as the characters which constitute it often 
possess very different values in the different genera and families, not 
only of insects, but of animals generally, and therefore the formation 
of genera must necessarily be left to the judgment of the author. 
It is the natural tendency of the specialist to attach undue value to 
the minor subdivisions of his particular department, whilst he whose 
studies take a wider range sees more forcibly the necessity of condensa- 
tion and simplification. Much can be said upon both sides of this ques- 
tion, but perhaps the argument may be condensed into a single sentence 
by saying that, on the one hand, the minute subdivision of a natural 
group tends to give definiteness and precision to our investigations, 
whilst, on the other hand, the multiplication of genera or sub-genera, 
upon trivial characters, unnecessarily encumbers our nomenclature, and 
diminishes the interest and importance which ought to attach to the 
generic distinction. 
In writing the names of insects— and the same rule applies to all 
other departments of natural history— it is the established custom to 
write first the name of the genus, usually without the author’s name 
attached, and immediately following it the specific name, with the name 
of the original describer, or an abbreviation of it, appended. As no 
one can carry all the modern genera of insects in his memory, it is an 
excellent practice, when space permits, to prefix the name of the older 
and more comprehensive genus to which such species was formerly re- 
ferred, and with which most entomologists may be presumed to bet fa- 
miliar. In this case the modern genus is included in a parenthesis, and 
usually with the author’s name attached. 
To illustrate by examples : The common rose-slug is the larva of a 
little wasp-like insect, known scientifically as the Selandria rosw of 
Harris. This species was first described by Dr. Harris, who gave to it 
the specific name rosw, meaning of the rose. It belongs to the modern 
genus Selandria, which was founded by Dr. Leach, an English ento- 
mologist. This genus is a subdivision of the old genus Tenthredo, of 
Linnaeus. The name written in full, therefore, will stand : 
Tenthredo ( Selandria , Leach ) rosw, 11 arris. 
Our fine large Polyphemus moth was originally described by Linnaeus 
under the name of Attacus Polyphemus. It belongs to the modern genus 
Telea, made by the German lepidopterist, Hiibner. Its name, there- 
fore, expressed in the simplest manner, is Telea Polyphemus, Linn.; or 
written in full — 
Attacus (Telea, Hiibner J Polyphemus, Linnaeus. 
This is ordinarily all that is essential to be known, and any additional 
synonyms or references should be placed in a subordinate position. 
