iNTRonrrTTox. 9 



wider acceptation of the terms proposed by Thomas, vSchiichert, and 

 Cossmanii. In regard to the desirabihty of type terms, Bather" states: 



This * * * shows how necessary the (lefinition of these terms has become. 

 It also exemplifies a danger that needs constant guarding against, namely, the 

 employment of a common word in a restricted * * * sense. The man in the 

 street knows the meaning of "ty])e" and "ty])ical," l)utthe meaning of those terms 

 to the zoologist is something (juite different. 



The following classification of type specimens is an expre.ssion of indi- 

 vidual opinion, in the hope that biologists will, when necessary, emend 

 the different definitions here given or offer new ones, so that a proper 

 terminology in regard to type specimens may come into general use. 



CLASSIFICATION OF TYPE SPECIMENS. 



All type specimens in Ijiology may l)e divided into two groups type 

 material and typical specimens. 



TvPK maT]<;kial includes all .specimens which have .served as the ba.sis 

 for published primary and supplementary descriptions and figures of 

 organisms. These are again divisible into two .sections — primary and 

 supplementary types. 



Primary Tyi'ES, or ProTKkotypes. — These are the original speci- 

 mens of an>- descril)ed or figured new species. In a letter to the writer, 

 Buckman has propo.sed for the Engli.sh term the collective name Pro- 

 tp;r()Tyi'1!:s. They are u.sually referred to b}- zoologists, botanists, and 

 some paleontologists as "types." Primary types are again dix'isible 

 into HOLOTYi'JC, coTypp: (or vSyntype), paratypk, lkctotypk, and 



CHIROTYPK. 



SrpPLKMKxT.VRV TYPES. — Tlie.se consist of the described or figured 

 specimens used by any author in supplementing or correcting knowledge 

 of a previously defined .species. This section is divisible into plesio- 

 Tvpi':, NEOTvi'E, and heautotype. 



Typical specimens, or Icotypes. — The.se have not been used in pul)- 

 lished descriptions or figures, but consi.st of material which authors have 

 worked on or such as has been or can be collected at the original locali- 

 ties of new species. In a letter to the writer, Buckman proposes for 

 the.se types a good collective term — Icotyp?:s, meaning that which is 

 like, probable (= types having resemblance to ])roterotypes). Typical 

 specimens are divisiljle into topotypi-:, :sietatvpe, ho:mceotvpe, and 

 ideotype. 



Besides "type material" and "typical .specimens" there are other 

 entities of a type nature to which authcjrs have .seen fit to apply a termi- 

 nology. Such are "type drawings," "reproductions of type speci- 

 mens," "type species of genera," and "types of organisius in relation 

 to geographic distribution." These will be defined further on. 



"Science, May 28, 1S97, p. 843. 



