This work originated in personal needs. The labor involved in con- 

 sulting so many books of reference to see how and where a certain 

 generic name had been used, or whether one coined for a special occa- 

 sion had already been employed, led me to cut up a copy of Marschall's 

 Nomenclator * and making a single alphabet of its twenty-one lists, 

 add to them from year to year the names found in the index to the 

 Zoological Eecord.t The scrap-book thus formed made a tolerable sup- 

 plement to Agassiz's Index,f and was worth the pains employed. The 

 alphabet of the scrap-book could not, however, be kept intact, espe- 

 cially in view of the multiplicity of compounds of some favorite initiatory 

 word like axavda ; it became more complicated and unwieldy with every 

 addition ; and in view of the length of time that had elapsed since 

 Agassiz's index was issued, the need of a new index universalis became 

 daily more apparent. My zoological friends, to whom my manuscript 

 list was open, urged also the boon such an undertaking would confer 

 upon all working naturalists, and the cordiality with which a proposi- 



* Nomenclator zoolpgicus, continens nomina systematica generum animalium tarn 

 viventium quaia fossilium, secundum ordinem alphabeticum disposita sub auspiciis et 

 sumptibus C. R. Societatis zoologico-botanicao conscriptus a comite Augusto de Mar- 

 fichall. 8. Vindobonae, 1873. Pp. 4, 482. This work includes 19,966 entries. 



tThe record of zoological literature, vol. 1-6. [Continued under the title] The 

 zoological record for 1870 [-1879] ; being vol. 7 [-16] of the Record of zoological litera- 

 ture. 16 vols., London, 1865-1881. 8. Vols. 1-5 were never indexed ; the index for 

 vol. 6 will be found in vol. 10. Vols. 1-6 were edited by C. L. G. Giinther; vols. 7-9 

 by Alfred Newton ; vols. 10-13 by E. C. Rye. The indexes of volumes 6-14 contain 

 7,968 names. 



t Nomenclator zoologicus, continens nomina systematica generum animalium tarn 

 viventium quam fossilium, secundum ordinem alphabeticum disposita, adjectis auc- 

 toribus, libris, in quibus reperiuntur, anno editionis, etymologia et familiis, ad quas 

 pertinent, in singulis classibus. Auctore L. Agassiz. Adjuvantibus, Princ. C. L. 

 Bonaparte, H. Burmeister, T. a Charpentier, C. Dumeril, G. R. Ehrenberg, G. F. Erich- 

 son, E. F. Germar, G. R. Gray, J. E. Gray, L. Imhoff, J. J. Kaup, H. Loew, H. Lucas, 

 C. T. Menke, H. a Meyer, F. Mieschner, M. Milne-Edwards, H. E. Strickland, A. Wag- 

 ner, G. R.Waterhouse, Zeller. 4. Soloduri, 1842-1846. Pp. (1539). 



This work included the following, which is the volume referred to in the text : 

 Nomenclatoris zoologici index universalis, continens nomina systematica classium, 

 ordinnm, familiarum et generuin animalium omnium, tarn viventium quam fossilium, 

 secundum ordinem alphabeticum unicum disposita, adjectis homonymiis plantarum, 

 nee non variis aduotationibus et emeudationibus. Auctore L. Agassiz. 4. Soloduri, 

 1846. Pp. 8, 393. This was also issued in 12 (from the same type rearranged), Solo- 

 duri, 1848. Pp. 10, 1135. This last, containing 32,964 entries, served as a basis for my 

 index, mentioned below, copies being cut up and rearranged with other lists in one 



alphabet. 



V 



