1 88 KENDALL: WHAT CHARACTERS DISTINGUISH SPECIES? 



be found to intergrade geographically in characters from one 

 terminus to the other, the one later described or named should 

 be regarded as a subspecies and be given a trinomial name. 



My preceptors further impressed upon me that a species and 

 its subspecies could not develop in exactly the same environment. 



I further learned that two forms though differing but slightly 

 and suspected of intergradation should continue to be regarded 

 as distinct species until intergradation should be proved. 



As previously indicated, I subscribed to all this and am still 

 willing to accept those dicta as gospel, and let them go at that. 

 But the fog still hangs low. For that reason I cannot throw 

 any light upon the question before us tonight. Beyond that 

 which I have just stated no definite plan of procedure seems to 

 have been advanced by any ichthyologist. In fact there seems to be 

 no uniformity and little consistency in ichthyological classification, 

 especially as pertains to species and the minor divisions of species. 



I have more than once read or heard it stated that there is 

 no such thing as species. If this be so, it would seem that there 

 is a widely prevalent illusion and the systematists are seeing 

 things. This would seem to be borne out by the fact that even 

 certain recognized leaders appear to adhere to no definite system. 

 In the same work one may find subspecies, species, and even 

 genera based upon exactly the same kind or degree of differences, 

 also good and valid species, according to the previously mentioned 

 definition, considered identical with another species. 



Unfortunately, or rather, fortunately if you please, we are 

 limited to two sorts of names for the minor divisions of classi- 

 fication: binomial for species; trinomial for subspecies. 



As I conceive of the objects of nomenclature, it is to afford a 

 means of concisely designating certain situations. In regard 

 to this point the question before us tonight seems to me to be: 

 How many of the various situations, if more than one, shall 

 be included in the binomial and how many in the trinomial 

 designation? For it must be recognized that if the previously 

 mentioned definitions of species and subspecies are accepted 

 without modifications or limitation, there are several situations 

 for which no provision has been made. 



