Mr J. D. Dana on Nomenclature in Natural History, 301 



Magnetism, atmospherical electricity, and the aurora po- 

 laris, and all other meteorological observations, would afford 

 scope enough on board of ship. 



Should land, however small the portion, be found at or 

 near the pole, all the various observations would be con- 

 ducted to a successful issue. It may be presumed that any 

 such land will not be mountainous, as no icebergs are ever 

 sent down from that quarter, these masses having been as- 

 certained as products of glaciers on the sides and valleys of 

 high mountains, as in Spitzbergen and Greenland. On a 

 piece of land, tlie pendulum may be swung, and the rise, fall, 

 and direction of the tides observed. It would also be inte- 

 resting to examine into the nature of the soil, and its vege- 

 table productions ; the disposition of the strata, and the me- 

 talliferous products, if any ; and if the land be of a tolerable 

 extent, a meridional distance may be measured. Other mat- 

 ters of interest and novelty would occur to a scientific and 

 skilful observer. These are mere speculations, thrown out 

 at random, but may serve, among other suggestions, as ob- 

 jects of attention. — Arctic Voyages of Discovery^ by Sir John 

 Barrow, p. 319. 



Report on Nomenclature in Natural History to the Association 

 of A?nericau Geologists and Naturalists, May 1 845. 



Mr J. D. Dana, as chairman of the committee on the sub- 

 ject of Nomenclature, read the following paper : — 



Your committee on Nomenclature having revised the laws 

 and suggestions on this subject, published by the British 

 Association, concur in recommending their general adoption. 

 They have hesitated only with regard to writing names de- 

 rived from persons or localities with an initial small letter 

 instead of a capital. In citing the names of original dis- 

 coverers in connection with that of a subsequent systematist, 

 by whom the original name had been changed, they have 

 preferred, as most simple and concise, the plan which is pro- 

 posed in the Report referred to, in a note to page 120, where 

 this subject is discussed. 



The following abstract has been made out in as concise a 



