i;o PROGRESS IN ZOOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE xii 



troubled. There seems to me no more reason why the nomen- 

 clature of such a committee, if it were composed of men in 

 whose judgment their fellow- workers 'would have confidence, 

 should not be as universally accepted as is the nomenclature 

 of the last edition of the Systema, Naturce of Linnaeus. We 

 have agreed not to look beyond that work for evidence of 

 priority, and why should we not agree in the same way to 

 accept decisions which would probably be arrived at with even 

 fuller knowledge and greater sense of responsibility ? 



Whether this suggestion will be received with favour or 

 not, it appeared to me that it was one not inappropriate for 

 the consideration of this Section, which has already dealt with 

 the question in a manner so advantageous to science, and also 

 for this year, which has witnessed the hundredth anniversary of 

 the death of the great teacher of systematic zoology. 



Our knowledge of the living inhabitants of the earth has 

 indeed changed since that time. Our views of their relations 

 to the universe, to each other, and to ourselves, have undergone 

 great revolutions. The knowledge of Linnaeus far surpassed 

 that of any of his contemporaries ; but yet of what we now 

 know he knew but an infinitesimal amount. Much that he 

 thought he knew we now deem false. Nevertheless, some of 

 the oldest words to be found in all his writings contain 

 sentiments which still claim a response in the hearts of many. 

 Although we are less accustomed to see such words in works 

 of science, that is no proof that their significance has been 

 impaired by the marvellous progress of knowledge. With the 

 words which Linnaeus selected to place at the head of his great 

 work I will conclude 



Jehova, 



Quam ampla sunt tua opera ! 



Quam sapienter ea fecisti! 



Quam plena est terra possessione tua ! 



