INTRODUCTION. 



In a book of reference, the first pages which should be studied 

 are those containing the "corrigenda" (p. Ivii), as they represent the 

 sum of the compilers labours after the main work has passed the 

 press. 



The objects of this work are (a) to provide zoologists with a com- 

 plete list of all the generic and specific names that have been appHed 

 by authors to animals since January the first, 1758^; (d) to give an 

 exact date for each page quotation ; (c) to give a quotation for each 

 reference sufficiently exact to be intelligible alike to the speciaHst and 

 to the layman. 



Similar works have been produced before, but no one book has 

 yet appeared attempting to supply references to all names given to 

 both fossil and recent animals, nor has any definite attempt been 

 made to fix an accurate date to each name. 



Notices of the details of the scheme have appeared in Nature, 

 15 May, 1890, p. 54; La Feuille des Jeunes Naturalistes, Nov. 1890, 

 p. 19; Nature, 2 July, 1891, p. 207 ; Natural Science, iii. 1893, p. 379; 

 Proc. Zool. Soc. 1896, p. 610; Reports Brit. Assoc. from 1892- 1902. 



Work was commenced on i July, 1890. After two years recording, 

 an unfortunate breakdown in health, which has frequently recurred, 

 laid me aside for three years, and thus the actual time spent on the 

 manuscript has amounted to eight years. 



In 1892 the British Association first assisted the venture and 

 in 1894 appointed a committee, consisting of Sir William Flower 

 (Chairman), Dr Sclater, Dr H. Woodward, and Mr George Brook 

 (Secretary), to watch the work. The Rev. T. R. R. Stebbing, 

 Mr R. McLachlan, and Mr W. E. Hoyle, were afterwards added to 

 the Committee, and Mr W. L. Sclater became the Secretary on 

 Mr Brook's death. This Committee has remained in force, Dr Wood- 

 ward succeeding the late Sir William Flower as Chairman, and 



^ See "An Index to...Linnaeus...Systema Naturae," Manchester Museutn Handbook, 

 No. 25, 1899, p. vi, f.-n. 



