CLASSIFICATION AND NOMENCLATURE 59 



Kingdom: Animalia (all animals) 



Suhkingdom: Metazoa (many-celled animals). 

 Phylum: Chordata (chordate animals). 

 Subphijlum: Vertebrata (vertebrates). 

 Class: Mammalia (mammals). 

 Order: Carnivora (carnivorous mammals). 

 Family: Canidae (doglike carnivores). 



Subfamily: Caninae (dogs and their relatives). 

 Genus: Canis (dogs). 



Species: familiaris (the domesticated dog). 



If the number to be handled in any group is very large, for convenience 

 in classification groups are introduced between those given. A common 

 method is by the addition of the prefix sub-, by which device, for instance, 

 several subspecies may be included in a species. In a similar manner may 

 be formed subgenera, subfamilies, suborders, subclasses, and, as given 

 above, subkingdoms and subphyla. Another device consists of the intro- 

 duction of words with the prefix super-, a superfamily being a group lower 

 in rank than a subclass but one which includes several famihes. If these 

 devices do not reduce the groups to convenient size, a variety of other 

 words has been employed, such as series, division, and legion. It has been 

 found in nature that many widely distributed and variable species can be 

 divided into smaller groups based upon geographical range, color, form, 

 and other characteristics, and these may be called races and varieties. 

 Various aspects of classification will appear as the different animals 

 which make up the animal kingdom are treated more in detail, and the 

 whole subject will later be reviewed. 



The names of the groups of animals above families vary in form, but 

 the name of the family always ends in -idae and that of a subfamily in 

 -inae. In each case the name of the family or subfamily is derived from 

 that of the genus in that family or subfamily which is taken as the type 

 genus, the names Canidae and Caninae, for example, being both derived 

 from the name Canis. The names of groups higher than the genus are 

 always written with a capital initial letter when used in a taxonomic sense 

 but are not itahcized. Generic names are capitalized and usually itali- 

 cized, while specific and subspecific names are italicized but not capitahzed. 



92. Nomenclature. — In order that each animal shall have a distinctive 

 appellation and that this may be the same throughout the world, it 

 is necessary to avoid common names, which differ in different localities 

 and often have a very uncertain apphcation, and also to use a language 

 which is the common language of scholars everywhere. For this reason 

 each animal bears a scientific name which is Latin in form, though it 

 may not be in origin, and which includes the names of the genus and 

 species to which the animal belongs. For the purpose of exact reference, 

 and since different authors may have referred to different species under 

 the same name, to the generic and specific names is added the name of the 



