SCIENTIFIC NAMES 413 



only varieties or sub-species developed during domesti- 

 cation from the wild or Pallas' cat of Africa. 



The lion, tiger, ocelot, puma, etc., are structurally dif- 

 ferent from each other and are distinct species, and each 

 inhabits a definite geographical area. Furthermore, each 

 of these species, and nearly a hundred others, possesses 

 certain anatomical characters in common, and accord- 

 ingly they are united in a larger division, the genus. 

 Other cat-like animals, belonging to other genera, are 

 grouped with these into a family. The cat family, to- 

 gether with those of the dogs, hyenas, etc., are embraced 

 in an order. This and several other orders of animals, 

 all with hair, comprise the class of mammals. The sev- 

 eral classes of backboned animals form the phylum of 

 vertebrates. And, finally, the various phyla (sponges, 

 mollusks, etc.) are subdivisions of the animal kingdom. 



The plant kingdom is subdivided in the same manner. 

 Every animal and every plant, which has been classified, 

 occupies a definite place. If the work is accurately done 

 its position indicates its nearest relatives, and the broader 

 features, at least, of its evolutionary history. 



Scientific Names. — The question is often asked, why 

 is it necessary to use " jaw-breaking " scientific names? 

 The answer appears when one talks about gophers, for 

 example. In the Southern States the word refers to 

 a tortoise, in California to a pouch-cheek, rat-like ani- 

 mal, in Idaho to a species of snake, and in Montana to 

 a ground squirrel. Vernacular or popular names are 

 therefore confusing, to say the least. The great work of 

 the Swedish scientist, Linnaeus, was the bringing of order 

 out of this chaos by adopting names from a dead lan- 

 guage, either Latin or Greek, and hence incapable of 

 change. 



Each species of animal and plant is given two names, 

 one for the genus, the other for the species. The generic 

 name of all cats is Felis. The specific name of the lion 

 is leo, of the tiger, tigris, of the leopard, pardus, etc. The 



