September, 1841.] 85 



Mr. J. S. Phillips read the following paper on the Nomen- 

 clature of Natural Science. 



The confusion in the nomenclature of Natural Science, owing to 

 the number of synonymes with which it is burthened, makes it 

 desirable that some fixed rule should prevail, by which naturalists 

 mio-ht determine to whom to credit species, and what names shall 

 have priority. With a view to call the attention of the Academy 

 of Natural Sciences to the subject, I have thrown together some of 

 the opinions and arguments urged by different parties, in the hope 

 that eventually some definite rule in nomenclature may be generally 

 adopted. 



In determining the right to names of species, the only two points 

 worth noticing, are, which description was first read before a 

 society ; or, which was first printed and published. 



Now, the arguments that occur to me in favour of priority of 

 reading, are, that when the author has read his paper, and handed 

 it over to the society before which he read it, he has done all in 

 his power ; that it is then taken out of his hands, and he has no 

 control over the time when it is to be published ; and, that, because 

 his society, for whatever cause, delays the publication until another 

 naturalist has published it, it would be unfair that the former 

 should be deprived of the credit of his investigations, by circum- 

 stances over which he has no control, and that too, after having 

 done all that was in his power. 



Another reason urged in favour of the first read description is, 

 that in referring to old descriptions, the date when the paper was 

 read is precise the day when read being always one of the meet- 

 ings of the society, and printed in the journal or transactions with 

 the date, and therefore absolutely determined ; but the actual day 

 of publication not always so readily ascertained. In answer 

 to the first, it may be urged, that if merely reading a paper 

 secures the species, it will produce indifference as to whether it is 

 ever published or not ; and naturalists in general will be at a loss 

 *o know what has been done in the case ; while specimens will 

 remain unlabelled and unknown, because no one is particularly 

 interested in publication ; but if priority of publication be the stand- 

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