156 Miscellaneous. 



" Rules," it may be worth while to collect the experience of workers 

 in different branches of science. 



The nomenclature of Mollusca is not only in a most unsettled con- 

 dition, but there seems no hope of bringing leading writers to an 

 agreement on any first principles. Dr. Gray, whose contributions 

 to malacology are second to none, and whose position at the head 

 of the department in the British Museum would alone give the 

 greatest weight to his example, has systematically ignored the 

 principles on which the British Association Rules are based. The 

 Messrs. Adams in England, INIorch in Copenhagen, many of the Ger- 

 man and most of the rising American naturalists take the same 

 course. In France the intiuence of Lamarck has restrained the 

 modern antiquarian innovation. 



Existing writers may be divided into two classes — (I) those who 

 profess the absolute law of priority, and (2) those who accept it 

 with limitations. 



The advocates of " mere priority " claim that their rule is the only 

 one which admits of fixed application. It is granted that, if limita- 

 tions are once allowed, there will be differences of opinion as to their 

 amount : but does the refusal of limitations produce uniformity ? 

 Putting aside the variations of opinion as to the greater or less divi- 

 sion of genera, how can authors be brought to agree as to wherein the 

 naming of a form consists ? Those who compare Dr. Gray's ' Guide ' 

 with x\dams' ' Genera,' or Dr. Gray's generic names at one date with 

 his names at another, will find that the mere-priority rule is thoroughly 

 uncertain in its application, principally in consequence of the very 

 loose definitions, and probably loose ideas, of the early writers. A 

 modern author thinks that Klein or Link meant by a certain name a 

 genus existing in his own mind, which he accordingly calls Talis, 

 Klein. But a second author thinks (and is quite sure he is right in 

 thinking) that Talis, Kleiti, means what is now considered a differ- 

 ent genus, and alters the first author's series of names accordingly. 

 Perhaps Klein meant neither the first, nor the second, nor both ; 

 but had a vague idea which it is now only confusing to endeavour to 

 reproduce. The mere-priority writers often judge of the old authors 

 by their types or figures ; but even the Linnean genera cannot thus 

 be understood, and many authors place their typical species in the 

 middle of the series. 



Once more, among the mere-priority writers, some accept a name 

 only if published with description or figure ; others, if the name be 

 printed in a list or catalogue ; others, if the name be written in a 

 public, and others, even in a private collection. But perhaps the 

 namer has only spoken the name, or merely thought it ; according 

 to the strictest law of priority, might not even these claim precedence ? 



If the principle of limitation be once allowed, questions of detail 

 can be debated and settled with tolerable ease ; and if one author 

 calls his species Gra7ji, another ffratji, and a third Grayana, we all 

 know what is meant, and that may suffice. But if a modern author 

 quotes a Cyclas, a Capsa, or a Siliquaria, who knows what is meant ? 



Nomenclature clearly is for use, not for honour or fancy. That 

 is the best which (I) expresses what it means, and (2) cannot mean 



