INTRODUCTION. 



certain fixed principles that the difficulties which present 

 themselves on this point can be effectually overcome. 



If, in furtherance of this object, naturalists would only 

 combine in adopting the excellent and very simple rules pro- 

 posed by the eminent zoologists who were appointed a Com- 

 mittee of the British Association for the express purpose of 

 effecting a reform in zoological nomenclature, all confusion 

 would speedily vanish, and science, instead of repelling the 

 would-be student by its apparent complexity, would attract 

 him by its real simplicity. 



For the present purpose it will not be necessary to mention 

 more than three of the rules referred to ; for, being the most 

 important, they are those which have been more particularly 

 ad hered to in the preparation of the present work. 



1. A species should be designated by the oldest name which 

 has been published for it, to the exclusion of all subsequent 

 synonyms. This is termed " the law of priority." 



2. Linnaeus having originated the binomial system of no- 

 menclature, and having published the last (12th) edition of 

 his ' Sy sterna Naturae ' in 1766 (which edition consequently 

 may be taken to be as complete as he could make it), the 

 " law of priority " should not extend to any name bestowed 

 upon a species prior to that date. 



3. The authority for a specific name, when not applying to 

 the generic name also, should be placed in parentheses, other- 

 wise not e. g.j Aquila chrysaetus (Linnaeus) , Falco subbuteo, 

 Linnaeus. 



Once admitting the propriety of such rules, the sooner they 

 are carried into effect the better ; for although it may be re- 

 pugnant to the feelings of some to discard names with which 

 they have become familiar, they should remember that these 

 names may not be so familiar to others, and the only names 

 which should really be so to all are those only which can be 



