THE NAUTILUS. 89 



Professor Morse's drawings and anatomic notes will be 

 always extremely useful, since they add materially to the 

 sum total of our knowledge of our northeastern mollusks, and 

 it is only to be hoped that Professor Morse will continue to 

 employ the wonderful gift which he possesses to fix on paper 

 observations on all the other forms with which he will come 

 in contact in the future. 



The only criticism in the entire paper pertains to figure 18, 

 that of Aporrhais Occident alis Beck, in which an appendage 

 is described which is evidently an abnormality, a curious ac- 

 cidental development, which Professor Morse himself tells me 

 in a letter is the case, although he did not recognize it as such 

 when he prepared his manuscript. 



As to the appendix, pp. 23-29, we agree with Professor 

 Morse that it is an arduous task to keep pace with the ever 

 shifting nomenclature. Some of the changes produced might 

 be dispensed with, but the major part reflects the advance of 

 our knowledge, and is necessary. I have recently had oc- 

 casion, in revising the Vitrinellidae, to refer specimens that 

 had been assigned to this family at various times, to six other 

 families than the Vitrinellidae, their operculum, radula and 

 other anatomic features demanding this shifting. Changes* 

 like these will continue to be required until the final adjust- 

 ment has been made. 



We in the Government offices are constantly called upon to 

 furnish the very latest in nomenclatorial dictum and a large 

 part of our time is taken up with the chase after the correct 

 name. I have frequently wished that some organization could 

 be prevailed upon to undertake the preparation of a card) 

 catalog of scientific names, generic and specific, beginning 

 with Linnaeus, giving in addition to the name and citation, 

 of publication, the family to which a given genus belongs 

 and for species in addition the type locality. In the case of 

 secondary combinations, a cross-reference card should be pre- 

 pared for filing under the proper places. Such a work care- 

 fully executed would eliminate at once almost all the changes 

 in nomenclature due to priority only, the names, that seem to 

 irritate most grievously the men who are not actually en- 

 gaged in revisional work. 



