SYSTEMATIC ZOOLOGY—GILL. AT1 
ous and qualified. Mammalogy might therefore well be accepted as 
a standard for taxonomy, and the groups adopted for it be imitated 
as nearly as the differing conditions will admit. The families of 
birds would then be much reduced in number and those of fishes in- 
creased. All the active herpetologists and ichthyologists of the 
United States have subordinated their own beliefs and ideas as to 
what would have been most desirable, to a greater or less extent, to 
approximate the desirable reduction of the terms admitted by them 
to a standard uniform with that adopted by mammalogists. If 
others would likewise sacrifice their own predilections, the lamentable 
inequality of usage now prevalent would be much less; such congruity 
would be to the great advantage of comparative taxonomy. 
In these days of extreme specialization one of the greatest needs 
in our universities is a professor of systematic zoology with whom 
conference may be held as to the propriety of any systematic modi- 
fication resulting from special investigation of the anatomy of any 
organ or part, or of any group of animals. Such conference might 
prevent the publication of many propositions due to exclusive con- 
sideration of an isolated subject. Perhaps the designation of sys- 
tematic morphology might better indicate the nature of the suggested 
course. The consummation, however, it must be admitted, is more 
desirable than probable. 
I have intentionally refrained from any consideration of the work 
of living zoologists. If I had undertaken this, the task of selection 
would have been very difficult, and at any rate the time demanded 
for proper consideration would have been much more than that requi- 
site for the reminder of past discoveries. The progress of systematic 
zoology during recent years has been in accelerated ratio, and not a 
few of those whose achievements have helped to put zoology at its 
present level are in Boston to-day. It.is from the summit of the ele- 
vation they have enabled us to reach that we look back to the deeds of 
old masters and can determine, better than their contemporaries or 
immediate successors, their relative merits. 
[Notr.—The name ‘* Linné” has been used because it was the one that the 
author assumed in the last (12th) edition of his great work. The title page 
has “CarRott A LINNE, * * * Systema Nature,’ ete. After he was en- 
nobled (1761) he dropped the Latin form and resumed the vernacular with the 
addition of @ or von.] 
41780—OS 34 
