extreme verbosity may equally well interfere with a correct under- 
standing of the sense of an author. I shall not attempt to cite illus- 
trations of this, though I have some instances in my mind. They 
occur principally in the writings of recent authors, who are not 
deterred from much speaking by the cost of printer’s ink. 
Again, the advances made in biological research during the past 
fifty years under the stimulating influence of advanced thought 
as to the origin and development of species have resulted in sharper 
definitions, and the modern student is not satisfied with the 
broader and more generalized classification, which was satisfactory 
to students a century ago. We recognize that vital processes are 
active in the production of local races, insular varieties, and multi- 
tudes of aberrant forms. To many of these subspecific and varietal 
names have been given. It is often the case that the distinctions 
existing between the original type and the subspecies are minute, 
though constant. To accurately define in words these subtle 
differences, which are patent to the eye, is at times almost imposs- 
ible. In such cases the vreservation of types is of the utmost 
importance as a guide to the student. 
In the first place then it is important that the types of species, 
subspecies, and varieties should be preserved because of the necess- 
ary inadequacy of merely verbal description to convey an accurate 
and satisfactory idea of the meaning of an author. In cases of dis- 
pute as to the intention of an author the type becomes the last 
court of appeal. 
But there is a second reason for the preservation of types. We 
all know that in the realm of life things are not ever the same. 
There is constant ebb and flow in the stream of living things. You 
are all familiar with the splendid work of BATES, the eminent 
English naturalist, who collected upon the Amazons and especially 
in the vicinity of Ega. The types of the new species he there 
discovered are preserved in England. Nearly half a century has 
elapsed since he made his discoveries, and the species which he 
found were named. Present collections made in the region where 
he labored show that in the lapse of even so short a time as fifty 
years marked changes have taken place in the form of living things 
in that locality. Two hundred and fifty or more generations of 
