Quarterly Journal of Conckology. i 7 r 



SPECIES VERSUS VARIETIES. 

 By G. SHERRIFF TYE. 



In your issue for Aug. 1875, I read my friend Mr. Simpson's 

 paper under^ the above title, and as there are several statements 

 therein calculated to mislead the student of conchology, I venture 

 in a spirit of friendliness to point them out. 



Dr. Gwyn Jeffreys' axiom "Groups to deserve the name 



of species must be distinct from others ; because, if any of them 

 are so intimately blended together by intermediate links, so as to 

 make the line of separation too critical, the test fails, and a subor- 

 dinate group, or what is called a 'variety' is the result" — is a fair 

 groundwork to build upon, but it is scarcely to be expected but 

 that Conchologistswill differ from the author of ' British Conchology' 

 as to what is "too critical" a separation, for as no absolute line can 

 be drawn, the best master can only guide the student by an ex- 

 pression of his own opinion. Dr. Jeffreys' remark that "every 

 naturalist is at perfect liberty to follow the bent of his own discretion 

 or inclination in the extension or reduction of species, subject only 

 to the opinion of his scientific compeers" must be read with the 

 context, and it will then be seen that the author is uttering a mild 

 protest against there being no "arbiter specierum" to whom when 

 in doubt or difficulty a naturalist could apply; hence Mr. Simpson 

 somewhat perverts the sense of it, because Mr. Jeffreys does not 

 speak of this proceeding of naturalists as a "right" but as a "liberty' 

 taken by them in the absence of a properly constituted authority. 



I proceed to follow Mr. Simpson's reasoning, taking the genus 

 Succinea. We must bear in mind that in describing a shell an author 

 endeavors to use language which will guide the tyro to the style of 

 the shell he wishes to call his attention to, hence, in describing 

 Succinea elegans Dr. Jeffreys says that its variety ochracea "forms a 

 passage to " S. oblonga ; but this is not saying that it is not distinct 

 from S. oblonga, surely it does not follow that because one species 

 ^^ leads" to another that therefore it belongs to it, or following this 

 reasoning we might have but one species of Succinea m the world 



