14 



ANIMALS OF LAND AND SEA 



or annelids, related to the earth-worms, but strap-worms are 

 nemerteans and ship-worms are molluscs with a pair of very 

 minute shells modified for boring purposes. 



We have adopted the Spanish word mosquito for the in- 

 sects called in England gnats, a term appHed by us mostly to 

 chironomids, fungus-gnats and other Httle flies, and sometimes 

 to male mosquitoes, though never to the biting females. But 

 in some places where mosquitoes have another designation 

 our name for them is used for sand-flies. 



These few examples show the difflculties in the way of a 

 proper understanding of zoology when explained in English 

 terms, especially outside of England. Many efforts have been 

 made to bring our common speech into accord with scientific 

 knowledge. Such efforts have never been attended with very 

 marked success and I beheve are bound to fail for the reason 

 that language is primarily the medium of exchange for ordinary 

 thoughts and ideas relating to everyday existence. Groups of 

 men engaged in restricted hnes of work develop special words 

 and phrases to convey an exact meaning to others engaged in 

 the same line, but these never come into very widespread use. 

 And so robin and oriole, bug, fly, fish, etc., will continue to be 

 misapplied except by those few with a deep interest in nature 

 as long as English lasts, and the student of zoology must 

 continue to beware the pitfalls hidden in the colloquial names 

 of animals and must search out the explanation of the numerous 

 discrepancies in the standard works of reference. 



