o/i5 Allen on Zoological Nomenclature. 



[October 



" Cinclus aquaticus soi'didus (Thibet). 



"In this system it must be observed that wherever there is a 

 fourth name it is always connected by a hyphen to the third 

 name, and comprises all the intermediate forms between the two. 

 It is somewhat cumbrous, but it provides- for the contingency 

 of any intermediate links that may occur. To express it algebra- 

 ically, it provides not only for AB and BC, but also for AC. It 

 is perhaps the only system which is theoretically perfect, but the 

 question whether its voluminousness renders it impracticable or 

 undesirable is one requiring careful consideration." 



Dr. Coues, following Mr. Seebohm, said that he was much 

 gratified at the interest shown in the subject of zoological no- 

 menclature, and indorsed the words of the Chairman that names 

 were of the greatest possible consequence. Nomenclature was a 

 necessary evil, and the point was always to employ that method 

 of naming objects which should most clearly reflect not only 

 the characters of the objects themselves, but our ideas respecting 

 them. He referred to the revolution in opinion that has taken 

 place since the time of Linnaeus in respect to what constitutes a 

 species ; a revolution brought about by the acceptance of the 

 theory of evolution. It was now idle to ask "What is a species.?" 

 no such thing existing any more than a genus. So intimately re- 

 lated are all forms of animal and vegetable life, if they were all 

 before us (including the extinct as well as the living), no naming 

 would be possible, for each would be found to be connected com- 

 pletely with another ; therefore the possibility of naming any 

 species was, as it were, the gauge and test of our ignorance. 

 Having thus touched very briefly upon the subject of missing 

 links, which alone enable us to name objects which still exist. Dr. 

 Coues proceeded to inquire, "What of so-called species the con- 

 nectino- links between which are still before our eyes.?" He then 

 briefly stated his views on the points at issue, citing in illustration 

 of the subject our well-known case of the Hairy Woodpecker 

 (Picns villosus). Dr. Coues's views are too well known, how- 

 ever, on this side of the Atlantic to render it necessary to give his 

 remarks at length. 



Dr. Giinther said that he looked with favor on the method pro- 

 posed by Dr. Coues and his compatriots, and stated that it was a 

 system he had himself employed occasionally in his systematic 

 writings since 1866, and Dr. Coues would find that in some cases 

 he had adopted it pure and simple. If Dr. Coues and those who 



