THE MAGAZINE 



OF 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



MARCH, 1834^. 



ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 



Art. I. On designating Genera and Subgenera, and on the Prin- 

 ciples of Classijlcation which they involve. [VI. 385. 4-81.. 485., 

 VII. 62. to 66.] By the Rev. Leonard Jenyns, A.M. F.L.S. 



Mr. Strickland seems (VII. 62.) to infer, from what I 

 have written (VI. 385.) on the subject of classification, that 

 my plan is " to distinguish subgenera by signs or letters." 

 I beg to state that he has misunderstood me entirely. So far 

 from adopting this plan, I am of opinion that in all cases sub- 

 genera should be named. What I remarked (which, I pre- 

 sume, led Mr. Strickland to this inference) was, that many 

 modern genera had been established on characters too trivial 

 and unimportant to entitle them even to the rank of sub- 

 genera ; and I intimated that, where such had been adopted 

 principally with a view to convenience, and because of the 

 large number of species contained in the old groups of which 

 they formed portions, it would have been better to have sub- 

 stituted for them mere sectional divisions, indicated by signs. 



With respect to the much agitated question as to whether 

 we are to employ the name of the genus or subgenus in de- 

 signating any species we may wish to speak of, it appears to 

 me it must be left in a great measure open for each individual 

 to decide as he pleases. It would be difficult to lay down 

 any rule, on such a subject, which would be generally adopted. 

 For my own part, I should say, that, oi^ all ordinary occa- 

 sions, it is quite sufficient to use the former only ; but where 

 1 was naming the species, with the particular view of point- 

 ing out its affinities and its exact situation in the system, I 

 should there employ both ; and I should write the name cf 



Vol. VII. — No. 38. h 



