^Sij 111 ] Notes and Nexus. 269 



" Consul Masterson reports that Prof. D. G. Elliot and Messrs. Akeley 

 and Dodson arrived at Aden, April 14, where they procured 70 Somalis, 

 80 camels, and 20 horses and mules. A week later they crossed to Ber- 

 bera, on the Somali coast. An absence of 10 months is planned, during 

 which they will cross Somali into Gallaland and pass to the south of the 

 Juba River. The main object of the journey is the collection of mammals, 

 but no effort will be spared to make the zoological collection varied and 

 complete." 



The Editor of 'Natural Science,' in commenting (Nat. Sci., April, 

 1S96, p. 21S) on the discussion on zoological nomenclature held by the 

 Zoological Society of London at its meeting of March 3 last, observes: 

 "The discussion turned chiefly upon the following questions: — First, 

 may the same generic names ever be used for both animals and plants? 

 Secondly, may the same term be used for the generic and trivial name 

 of a species, as in the well-known instance of Scomber scomber? 

 Thirdly, are we to adopt as our starting-point the tenth edition of 

 Linne's Systema Natures in preference to the twelfth edition? These 

 questions are answered in the affirmative by the German code, and in 

 the negative by the original Stricklandian. We do not propose to dis- 

 cuss them here : it is natural that there should still be found, especially 

 among the older zoologists of this country, many to support the old- 

 established British practices; in this, as in all other matters of nomen- 

 clature, convenience, not principle, is concerned, and it cannot be gain- 

 said that the general usage of zoologists, at all events in other parts of 

 the world, becomes daily more and more in harmony with the rules 

 adopted by the German Society." 



lie advocates the preparation of a complete and correct list of the names 

 of all animal species, fossil as well as recent, and adds, " then it would 

 at all events be perfectly possible for the zoologists of the world to 

 accept that list, and to say, 'Whether these names be right or wrong 

 according to this or that code of nomenclature, we do not know and we 

 do not care; but we bind ourselves to accept them in their entirety, 

 and we hereby declare that the date when this list was closed for the 

 press shall henceforward be the date adopted as the starting-point for 

 our nomenclature.' 



"We have" he continues, " put this proposition in a broad manner; 

 there are, of course, numerous minor points to be taken into considera- 

 tion. The preparation of a mere list would be an enormous undertak- 

 ing: we learn from Dr. David Sharp and the workers on the Zoological 

 Record that there are 386,000 recent species ; no one has reckoned the 

 number of extinct species. Some such work as the ' Index generum et 

 specierum animalium,' now being compiled with a minimum of support 

 and under constant difficulties by Mr. Charles Davies Sherborn, must 

 form the basis of any such synopsis as that here proposed. The first 

 duty of naturalists is to help Mr. Sherborn, who works at the British 



