The Scottish Naturalist. 105 



of variation. If the aberration becomes constant — that is to sav 

 hereditary, producing its like generation after generation, without 

 reverting, it forms a local race or variety proper. It is to be noted 

 that in some cases the form may occur as an aberration in some 

 localities, and as a local race or variety in others. Closely allied 

 to the local race is the sub-species — so closely allied indeed that 

 they may often be, and indeed are, considered identical. The 

 sub-species has, however, more claims to specific distinction, and, 

 in fact, the term is used not in the sense altogether of a rank in- 

 ferior to a species, but rather to indicate a closer alliance amongst 

 themselves between certain species of a genus than that which they 

 have with the other species of the same genus. The characters 

 which the sub-species have in common constitute the character of 

 the super, or aggregate species, and one super species may contain 

 any number of sub-species, each of which may have its local races 

 aberrations, and abnormalities, while in like manner a local race 

 may have its aberrations or abnormalities, and an aberration may 

 have an abnormality. 



It should be distinctly remembered that, as in the case of the 

 genus and species, all these inferior groups are artificial, and used 

 merely for the purposes of classification. I do not know if I have 

 made the matter very plain, but I daresay you have caught the 

 drift of my argument, which is briefly this, that in our local cata- 

 logues we should not be content with simply recording the occur- 

 rence of a species, but endeavour to show what relation in structure 

 and colour the local individuals of that species bear to the species 

 in general. Having indicated the nature of this relationship, it 

 will then remain to try to discover, in the case of variations, the 

 cause of such variation. The remaining three sections do not call 

 for much remark on my part, beyond this, that if the local names, 

 &c, are to be recorded, as most assuredly they should be, no time 

 should be lost in obtaining information, as they are fast being for- 

 gotten, and will soon be buried in oblivion. 



From this brief sketch of what is suggested should be the 

 method of cataloguing the fauna and flora of any district, it will 

 be seen that each Society has a good deal of work before it. But 

 when it has been done there will be the satisfaction of knowing 

 that a good work has been accomplished, and that materials have 

 been amassed from which it may be possible to learn something 

 of certain great problems which are yet unsolved, and amongst 



