THE TERMINOLOGY OF VARIATION. 



281 



designatecl at least tAvo absolutely distinct classes of facts, that even before 

 the time of Herrich Schiifter's Sjis. Bear. SdiDi. Ear., the term " ab." 

 ==aberratio (aberration) had been introduced, for we find him writing- 

 in that work, " Abweichungen, die bei Exampiaren Ein und derselben 

 Brut vorkommen konnen und wirklich offers vorkommen, bezeichnet 

 man als Vanetiit, Spielart. Abweichungen dagegen, welche nur 

 ausnahmsweise und in einzelnen Exemplaren beobachtefc werden und 

 durch Form, Zeichnung order Farbenvertheilung ein der Stainmart 

 ganz fremdartiges Ansehen haben, nennt man Aberratio, Abart." 

 (Vol. i., p. 4, 1843.) 



The different significance of these two terms was quite easily under- 

 stood and remembered. The latter was introduced to designate a more 

 or less isolated and non-recurrent form, uncertain in its cause of 

 origin, and absolutely uncertain in its appearance in season and 

 locality. That left all other variations indicated by the term " var.," 

 which, with the progress of study and the necessity and desire of 

 indicating by names, soon became a conspicuously confused term, as 

 it gave no indication of the different ideas of the relationships com- 

 prised under it. 



In the year 1861 Dr. Staudinger in his Cat. I.ep. Eur., Ed. I,, p. x., 

 attempted to define strictly the scientific significance to be henceforth 

 understood by the signs var. and ab. He says, "I have endeavoured 

 to establish distinctly the difterences which separate purely accidental 

 varieties or aberrations, from local varieties or races. The first 

 (designated by " ab.") are in my usage those which are liable to occur 

 everywhere, in the same area and at the same time as individuals of 

 the species itself or those of its own race." 



He then goes on to point out two classes of " aberration," " Some 

 are always reproduced obviously of the same facies, as for example ab. 

 valedna of Ari/i/miis paiihia, ab. Iioxpita of Neineophila iilantaijinin, etc., 

 others, on the contrary are subject to almost infinite variation, without 

 •ever recurring exactly of the same form." 



" It is quite different with local varieties or races which are as 

 important in the series as species. I have designated these by a "v." 

 (varietas). It is here that it is often very difficult to decide Avhether 

 these forms are only modifications of the type, or if they should be 

 separated." 



It must here be noted that after cutting off the non-recurrent 

 variations at first included, it was necessarily implied that the 

 variations then comprised under the term "var.," were those which 

 recurred more or less regularly under the condition of season or 

 locality. 



We thus see that Staudinger to all intents and purposes first fixed 

 the definite application of the term " ab.," and secondly, not only took 

 out this portion of the original signification of the term " var.," but 

 still further restricted the latter to the idea of what we now generally 

 ■call "subspecies" or "geographical races," thus making all the other 

 ideas formerly implied under the term " var." to become indesignate." 



In spite of this pronouncement of Staudinger in 1861, the term 



* Friihstorfer's use of the term " subspecies " to signify what is nothing more 

 than a casual though recurrent aberration, such as his subspecies of Li/caena 

 arion, is simply indefensible. — G. W. 



