66
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.