I849-] NOMENCLATURE. 



into the field, and it depends, I think, on the present genera- 

 tion whether the science is to descend to posterity a chaotic 

 mass, or possessed of some traces of law and organisation. If 

 we could only get a congress of deputies from the chief scien- 

 tific bodies of Europe and America, something might be done, 

 but, as the case stands, I confess I do not clearly see my way, 

 beyond humbly endeavouring to reform Number One. 



Yours ever, 



H. E. STRICKLAND. 



C. Darwin to Hugh Strickland. 



Down, Sunday [Feb. 4th, 1849]. 



MY DEAR STRICKLAND, I am, in truth, greatly obliged to 

 you for your long, most interesting, and clear letter, and the 

 Report. I will consider your arguments, which are of the 

 greatest weight, but I confess I cannot yet bring myself to 

 reject very well-known names, not in one country, but over the 

 world, for obscure ones, simply on the ground that I do not 

 believe I should be followed. Pray believe that I should 

 break the law of priority only in rare cases ; will you read the 

 enclosed (and return it), and tell me whether it does not 

 stagger you ? (N. B. I promise that I will not give you any 

 more trouble.) I want simple answers, and not for you to 

 waste your time in reasons ; I am curious for your answer in 

 regard to Balanus. I put the case of Otion, &c., to W. 

 Thompson, who is fierce for the law of priority, and he gave 

 it up in such well-known names. I am in a perfect maze of 

 doubt on nomenclature. In not one large genus of Cirripedia 

 has any one species been correctly defined ; it is pure guess- 

 work (being guided by range and commonness and habits) to 

 recognise any species : thus I can make out, from plates or 

 descriptions, hardly any of the British sessile cirripedes. I 

 cannot bear to give new names to all the species, and yet I 

 shall perhaps do wrong to attach old names by little better 

 than guess ; I cannot at present tell the least which of two 

 species all writers have meant by the common Anatifera 



