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FAUNISTIC COLORATION.
causes of colour the idea of protective coloration is irrelevant and should be discarded. Certainly I do not think that his Animal Life in Deserts can be quoted as an example of a modern ' tendency to discredit animals' adaptability to environment.' But it does suggest that in any such adaptation, protective value plays no part. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, E. P. W i l t s h i r e . British Consulate, Bagdad ; 28 October 1935.
PRIORITY. To the Hon. Editor. My dear Sir.—The Law of Priority in Zoological Nomenclature, so excellent in theory and interminable in practice, has been pursued by Naturalists quite long enough. The period is come to call a H a l t ! For the last Century we have been searching out the earliest name applied to every genus and, for instance, every one of our fifteen thousand British insects, tili the ridiculous result has often emerged : that we have to revert to a moth's English name to fix the indication (e.g. the Bee-hawk, fuciformis) ! Omitting merely a few academic pedants, every one is thoroughly wearied of the horrid chaos into which such Classification is devolving. On all hands disgust is heard expressed at the recurring " change of n a m e " among innumerable common objects of the country-side. And now, after three generations' patience is exhausted by waiting for unachievable finality, the " Royal* Entomological Society of London " issues in February 1934 Recommendations relating to the publication of the report of the Committee on Generic Nomenclature—merely generic, mark you. In February 1934, also, follows this Committee's Generic names of British Rhopalocera, treating of forty-six genera (consecutively numbered throughout) that embrace sixty-eight species of Butterflies. Finally in July 1935, eighteen months later, comes Generic names of British Odonata, that deals with twenty* O u r learned H o n . Editor seems reasonably loath to concede the newlv prefixed ' Royal ' to the century-established Entomological Society of L o n d o n . Technically the new charter exists and such title stands ; but, t h o u g h none is loyaler to the British T h r o n e , I consider any scientific m a t t e r or person as is royal mixes metaphors.—L.S.
PRIORITY.
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one genera (numbered under individual families) into which fall our forty-three species of Dragonflies.—Now I ask you, Sir • If the two very simplest groups of our Insects, totalling only 111 species, take eighteen months to complete, and then only in respectto their genera, when may we hope the total 15,000 kinds to be nnished : in yet another Century ? The rational reply actually works out at just under 203 years hence (for genera)! Even at so remote a date as 2138, synonymy is too elusive to ensure persistence, be the work totally comprehensive. W e wiU acce l a n d P satisfy ourselves with the ipse dixit of Masters who have already spent their lives in the subiect • Meyrick's, Fowler's, Saunders', Theobald's and, as far as it goes' Verrall s nomenclature. Their work shall be fixed for Englishmen, with new species and additions to our fauna interpolated at their natural positions. We will be of one mind, retaining our household words ; and the foreigner shall work out for himsuch synonymy as may be unfamiliar in his ears. For half a Century I have suffered from the Priority chimera; henceforth I follow naught but solid, staid philosophers of demonstrated worth. i his is my personal stance ; and, since I crave for no cosmopolitan correspondence, I enclose my card and sign myself 6 J thus, Sir, Yourg( Suffolk; 15 October 1935. Lapis Sacer.
[Our Member assures us that, when expressing the above opinions, he had no knowledge of Mr. Hudson of New Z^aland's plea for " a Stable Nomenclatuie" (EMM. 1935 p p 16-7) The parallelism of these antipodean conclusions is most, or almost, Singular—and suggestive of intermediate agreement.—Ed.]
ON
BIRDS-NESTING
AROUND
B Y D R . CLAUD B . TICEHURST, M . A . ,
BURY.
M.B.O.U.,
etc.
on the 1934 good number of the Transactions ana promptness of lts publication ; it is most readable and very aitterent from certain other periodicals which seem to be dying ot inanition. I was naturally most interested, as the author of A H,story of the Birds of Suffolk' that was published during W A in Mr. Frank Burrell's remarkable discoveries near Burv 1 I rans. supra ii, p. 204), some of which certainly call for comment. CONGRATULATIONS