28 NOMENCLATURE. 



In the case above mentioned, by adopting for the name to he changed one 

 of its available synonymes, any transfer of the species afterwards which would 

 make a return to the original name possible becomes a matter of course. 

 In fact, we should always as much as possible transfer ourselves back to a 

 special epoch and reconstruct the existing conditions, not only of the nomen- 

 clature, but also of the special department we arc investigating. Great in- 

 justice is too frequently done to memoirs admirable lor their time by judging 

 them harshly in the light of recent information, frequently gained hy the aid 

 of the very memoirs so ungenerously treated, which have helped to clear 

 the ground. It is easy to ameliorate. The man of genius lavs the founda- 

 tions, while the elaborate superstructure raised by his followers long after 

 Ins time hides from their view the fact that he has made their part possible. 



In giving the synonymy of species which have become historical, which 

 have a wide geographical range, and are to be found in monographs, hooks 

 of travel, lists, hand-hooks, it becomes a necessity to cull the long list of 

 quotations misnamed Synonymes, and to separate what is merely biblio- 

 graphical from what constitutes the history of the name and the history of 

 the species. In the history of the species we need all the possible combina- 

 tions which have been recorded as expressing its affinities, bui for the history 

 <>f the name we must frequently go back to earlier dates and consult hooks 

 where we find no information of any value. If the practice were adopted 

 generally of giving only such quotations as enable us to gain some kind of 

 information, a better description, notes of the geographical distribution, ana- 

 tomical or physiological points of interest, we should, little by little, get rid 

 of an evil which is daily becoming more intolerable. We can hardly expect 

 our successors to continue to drag this dead weight, and the sooner we get 

 the benefits of a similar course the better. There are two principal points of 

 interest, the starting-point, or the original name, and the present interpreta- 

 tion, or the name we adopt. The one is the variable quantity, the other its 

 value, in our estimation, for the special case under consideration. Is it neces- 

 sary that we should always go through all the details of the solution of the 

 problem? Let us adopt something, at least, from mathematics, and when we 

 have solved such simple problems on our slate, let us rub out the figures ami 

 leave the answer; or if we must show how we have solved it, let us publish 

 the figures on our slates separately, for the benefit of those who cannot, or 

 will not, follow us ; but let us draw a line at least, and a distinct one, be- 

 tween the bibliographical part, the name of the species, the history of the 



