ZOOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE. 379 



\Etymologies and types of new genera to be staled.] 



It is obvious that the names of genera would in general be 

 far more carefully constructed, and their definitions would be 

 rendered more exact, if authors would adopt the following 

 suggestion : — 



§ G-. It is recommended that in defining new genera the 



etymology of the name should be always stated, and that one 



species should be invariably selected as a type or standard of 



reference. 



In concluding this outline of a scheme for the rectification 

 of zoological nomenclature, we have only to remark that 

 almost the whole of the propositions contained in it may be 

 applied with equal correctness to the sister science of botany. 

 We have preferred, however, in this essay to limit our views to 

 zoology, both for the sake of rendering the question less com- 

 plex, and because we conceive that the botanical nomenclature 

 of the present day stands in much less need of distinct enactment 

 than the zoological. The admirable rules laid down by Linnreus, 

 Smith, Decandolle, and other botanists (to which, no less than 

 to the works of Fabricius, Illiger, Vigors, Stvainson, and other 

 zoologists, we have been much indebted in preparing the pre- 

 sent document), have always exercised a beneficial influence 

 over their disciples. Hence the language of botany has attained 

 a more perfect and stable condition than that of zoology ; and 

 if this attempt at reformation may have the effect of advancing 

 zoological nomenclature beyond its present backward and ab- 

 normal state, the wishes of its promoters will be fully attained. 



(Signed) H.E. Strickland. J. S. Henslow. 



John Phillips. W. E. Suckhard. 



John Richardson. G. R. Waterhouse. 



Richard Owen. TV. Yarrell. 



Leonard Jenyns. 0. Darwin. 



W. J. Broderip. J. 0. Westwood. 



June 27th, 1842. 



[I understand that subsequent to this reprint of 18(33, above 

 reproduced, some few slight modifications of the above rules 

 were agreed upon. What these modifications were I have failed 

 as yet to ascertain, but as soon as practicable I will reproduce 

 these also.— Ed., S. F., October 1877.] 



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