322 Modern Nomenclature and Subspecies. [Ibis, 



number is considered. Anorther objection will be made, 

 namely, that though this rule could be followed in the case 

 of species, yet it could not be made to apply to such minute 

 subdivisions of species as are being adopted by modern 

 naturalists. 



To this latter objection I can suggest no remedy until 

 there is more general agreement as to the limit which may 

 be allowed to this practice. In Botany it has reached a 

 point o£ folly which cannot be imagined by an ornithologist. 

 In proof of this I may say that in the fourth Supplement 

 to the ' Index Kewensis,' which contains the names of all 

 plants described as new in the five years 190G-1910, I find 

 over forty columns, each containing about forty names, in 

 the one genus Hieracium ; of these 1600 names three men 

 are responsible for by far the greater number. I could cite 

 cases among the Lepidoptera which, if not so outrageous 

 as this, have led to many complaints amongst butterfly- 

 collectors. Lt.-Col. Evans, perhaps the best authority in 

 India, writing in the 'Journal of the Bombay Natural 

 History Society,' xxviii. 1921, p. 32, says :—" Nothing 

 annoys the amateur student so much as the apparently 

 useless changes in nomenclature." He goes on to say : " It 

 is a o-reat pity that wo have no International authority 

 empowered to issue an authoritative list of known families, 

 o-enera, and species. Any alterations or additions might be 

 proposed by individuals, but should not come into force until 

 approved by the central authority after due discussion in 

 scientific journals ; all delving into the past should be vetoed 

 as far as nomenclature is concerned; the result would be 

 that the energies of many excellent naturalists would 

 be diverted to useful progressive work from what might be 

 termed useless retrospective labour." 



I had hoped to conclude this paper by an examination of 

 the results arrived at by Beebe in his account of Phasianvs 

 coIcJiicus and its numerous subspecies, but this must be 

 deferred to our next number. 



