Nomenclature of Divions of Area. 427 



ordinate as far as conditions will allow these divisions with his 

 working circles, blocks and compartments. But he should by- 

 no means sacrifice working circles and blocks too much for the 

 sake of administrative units because, as forests are developed, 

 and as more men become available, these uits are liable to un- 

 dergo changes. 



The ideas herein expressed are more or less in the nature of 

 suggestions and are open to crticism. Criticism in fact is ear- 

 nestly desired, for it is obvious that only through an interchange 

 of mature thought and the most free discussion can progress be 

 made. 



We are glad to see discussion on these formal and yet techni- 

 cally important matters of nomenclature taken up anew which 

 have been left untouched since the appearance of the Forestry 

 Bureau Bulletin No. 61, six years ago, and the review of it in 

 the Forestry Quarterly, Volume III, which we think will bear 

 re-reading by would-be terminologists. 



We hope Mr. Moore's call for criticism may be heeded for it 

 is useful early to establish an acceptable terminology as it is 

 difficult to eradicate poor terms once in the world. To con- 

 tribute towards this end we would refer to what we said in that 

 review regarding terms in general and accentuate especially the 

 desirability of term quality in the words selected. While the 

 existence and use of a term in the literature of another nation, 

 especially of the same language, is strong argument for its reten- 

 tion, it is still open to question whether a change is not desirable. 

 In the end, we must admit also the use of synonyms, for, after 

 all, language is partly a matter of taste and only partly of rule. 

 As stated in the review referred to, the English of the Britons 

 appears to us often unfortunate and cumbersome from the stand- 

 point of term quality. 



We side with those who object to the use of 'working circle,' 

 not, of course, because it is English, but because it is not very 

 expressive. The explanation of the word circle as referring to 

 rotation seems to us fanciful, probably a mere area managed 

 from one center suggesting the term. We do not know, but 

 suspect, that it is a translation by the first Indian adminstrators 

 from the German "Kreis," which is a subdivision of Bezirke. Mr. 



