1882.] MR. J. E. HARTING ON NOMENCLATURE OF COLOURS. 3Q1 



Mr. Sclater exhibited a drawing by Mr. Smit (Plate XXIII.) of the 

 Tapir presented to the Society by Mr. Fritz Zurchcr on the 13th of 

 August last, and read extracts from some letters received from Mr. 

 Zurcher on the subject, whereby it appeared that this animal had 

 been captured on the Yuruari river in Venezuela when about eight 

 months old (as was believed), and had been kept Id months in 

 captivity before being forwarded to this country. Its probable age 

 was therefore now about three years. 



Mr. Sclater pointed out that in colour this animal appeared to agree 

 better with the figure of Tapirus doioi (as represented in Godman 

 and Salvin's Biol. Centr.-Am., Mamm. p. 104, t. ix.) than with the 

 ordinary Tapirus americanus ; and suggested that it was quite likely 

 that (he former species might be the Tapir of the lower Andean 

 range of Venezuela. But this point could only be decided by ana- 

 tomical examination after the death of the animal. 



Mr. J. E. Harting, F.Z.S., called attention to the desirability of 

 adof)ting a standard of nomenclature for the description of the colours 

 of natural objects, and made the following remarks : — 



" In the animal kingdom the number of colours is very great. They 

 often form the most striking feature in the external appearance of 

 species, and hence have been considered by systematists as affording 

 distinguishing characters of much value. But an object may be 

 described as of one colour by one person, and be taken by another 

 person for quite a different tint; for the names of colours are 

 frequently misapplied, and one name is often indiscriminately given 

 to many colours. Hence arises an uncertainty in reading, and a 

 perplexity in writing, a description, which would be obviated were 

 some standard of nomenclature available for general reference. 



" So long ago as 1821, tliere appeared a maimai the utility of which 

 seems to have been quite lost sight of, owing perhaps chiefly to the 

 fact that it has long been out of print and difficult to procure — 

 namely, Werner's ' Nomenclature of Colours,' edited by Syme. 

 This work, excellent in principle, was designed to meet the very 

 want which I now venture to express, but which was hardly 

 experienced at the date of its publication, inasmuch as it was not 

 then the general practice to publisli the careful and detailed descrip- 

 tions of species with which we are now familiar. Thus the book 

 was neglected, and is now almost forgotten. 



" In my humble opinion, if a new edition of this work were to 

 appear it would be extremely useful to zoologists, not only in this 

 country, but in other parts of the world — wherever, in fact, zoological 

 science is cultivated. 



" Assuming the want of such a standard nomenclature and the 

 desirability of satisfying it, I venture to think that in no way could 

 this be better accomplished than by the publication of a new edition 

 of Werner's ' Nomenclature of Colours ' under the auspices of this 

 Society. 



" Such a course would ensure the speedy adoption of the standard, 

 Proc. Zool. Soc— 1882, No. XXVII. 27 



