ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 



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PHILADELPHIA, PA., MAY, 1912. 



Strict Priority in Nomenclature or Not? 



The editorial on this subject in the NEWS for March, page 

 128, having brought responses, some of which were printed in 

 our issue for April, page iSi, it is proposed to comment here 

 on Mr. Caudell's statement (/. c., page 181) for the case of the 

 strict priorists. 



It must be said first that the Editor assumes entire respon- 

 sibility for that which follows. 



The following propositions appear fundamental : 



I. Nomenclature is a means, not an end ; a means whereby we at- 

 tempt to designate certain objects of study. 



II. The names of animals and of plants are not for the systematist 

 or taxonomist only; they are for the anatomist, the physiologist, the 

 ecologist, the student of habits, of behavior, of distribution, of phylogeny, 

 as well. Their right to use these names is as great as the systematist's. 



III. A stable nomenclature is desirable on account of all of these 

 kinds of students. 



We maintain also that the ''Law" of priority has not given the 

 stability it was expected to give, that recent experience leads one to 

 think that many names, now apparently of earliest date, are quite likely 

 to be rejected as the result of further antiquarian research tomorrow 

 or the day after. 



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