“EUDAEMONIA JEHOVAH”—A REVIEW

Extract

The describer of species has accomplished his task when he has given the proper Latin names, but it depends largely on the one who catalogues the species, whether these names pass into use or not. In the work of preparing a “New Check List of North American Moths,” I have gone over much of the literature bearing on the subject, and the following reflections have presented themselves to me.

In the first place, I have been actuated by a sincere desire to meet the views of the anti-Hübnerists, and avoid the use of old or objectionable names. Professor Riley has brought forward objections to the resuscitation of forgotten or neglected names, and others have written with the same object in view. I found, however, to my surprise, I must confess, that the best Catalogue, that of Staudinger, did not hesitate to introduce names out of use for almost a century; and this merely because they were a very little older than the name in common use. So prominent an insect as Papilio Podalirius, is made to appear as P. Sinon.