422 



The Gratz Congress adopted a recommendation by the Commission to the 

 effect that an attempt be made to establish , on basis of the International 

 Rules of Nomenclature, an ''Official List of Most Frequently Used Zoologi- 

 cal Names". In accordance with this vote, the Secretary invited a number 

 of workers to form themselves into special committees and to cooperate in 

 the undertaking, and he submitted to several of these committees lists of 

 names for study. 



20j The vigorous protests received from various sources were not fore- 

 seen. Some zoologists protested against the proposed list on the ground that 

 this was the beginning of a list of "Nomina conservanda" to which they 

 would not submit; others demanded that the Secretary agree that the list 

 be made without reference to the Law of Priority ; some practically challenged 

 the right of the Commission to undertake the work; others flatly refused to 

 cooperate; some agreed to cooperate and did so; others promised aid that 

 has thus far not been forthcoming. 



21) In view of the great dissatification with the proposed list, the Se- 

 cretary finally decided that the wisest plan would be to submit to the Com- 

 mission only a comparatively small number of names as a sample of what 

 was proposed and to postpone further action on the matter until the Com- 

 mission might discuss the situation and lay its views before the Congress 

 for further consideration. 



22) The Commission submits herewith a sample of what it had in mind 

 in suggesting the Official List. This consists of an accepted list of 40 

 generic names which ajipear from our present knowledge to be valid under 

 the Code and a rejected list of names which ajDpear to be unavailable under 

 the Code. 



23) The Commission recommends that this be taken as a beginning 

 and that names be very gradually and carefully selected to be added to the 

 list. It will, however, be impossible to build out this nomenclator unless 

 cooperation is had from systematists in the different groups. With proper 

 cooj)eration, however, the Commission is persuaded that 100 to 500 accepted 

 names and as many or more rejected names might be added to the list every 

 three years and that in this way not only would we obtain a list of esta- 

 blished names for the genera most frequently referred to but that many use- 

 less names could be definitely eliminated from literature. The Commission 

 does not desire, however, to continue this very time-consuming labor unless 

 there is a very distinct desire on the part of zoologists to have the work done 

 and a willingness to cooperate in the undertaking. 



24) The names suggested as samples for adoption are distributed as 

 follows: Trematoda, 11; Cestoda, 5: Nematoda, 7; Gordiacea, 2; Acantho- 

 cephala, 1; Arachnoidea, 8; Diptera, 6. Practically all of these come into 

 consideration not only in zoological but also in medical and veterinax-y lite- 

 rature. 



25) Public notice has been given that these names would be called up 

 for vote at this (1913) meeting of the Commission and ample opportunity 

 has been afforded for the presentation of objections. No objection to any 

 name in the list as now submitted has been presented to the Commission. 



26) In addition to the list of 40 names submitted for action at the 

 present meeting the Commission submits a list of 169 generic names of birds, 

 with their authorities, references, genotypes, and method of type fixation, 



